Slow Fade
by riemayu
Summary: Sequel to 'Thicker than Water' -Bruce & Olivia have been married for 3 years, but with every relationship there are trials. They're not certain they'll be able to endure it. A threat has come against their family, determined to tear it and Batman apart.
1. Chapter 1

SLOW FADE

A/N - Sadly, I don't own anything within the realm of Batman...what does belong to me is Olivia, David and any other O/C my mind may come up with.

Now, this story takes place pretty much 3 years after the last chapter of 'Thicker than Water'. Someone had commented about Bane being in this story.....uh...no...I don't think I would ever bring that character into this...I'm trying my best to keep this in a Nolan-verse and whenever I think of Bane, my mind goes to the crappy Bane from the old movies...ugh...so, no Bane here.

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People never crumble in a day...

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Seattle, Washington

August 28th

09:19am

How many times had she looked in that microscope? Twenty? Thirty times? The woman had lost track.

She was anxious.

She had a deadline and it was fast approaching. The woman pushed her auburn hair out of her eyes before looking back into the microscope. The cells were finally dividing. She could finally say that her experiments were a success; and not a moment too soon.

Her colleagues said that it would never work. Many called her insane to think that she would be able to change a genome of a plant. Her mother always told her that insanity according to Albert Einstein was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. In her case, she was expecting one result; a new species of plant.

The entire Botanical Relief Society had been notified of Wayne Enterprise's visit later that morning. Everyone had been scrambling to tidy things up, print up reports and make the offices and research areas look impressive in order to secure their funding. Dr. Isley hoped that she would have the genome of the new plant she had created completed in time for the tour. She was eager to see Mr. Wayne again and hoped to make a good impression.

"We have one more hour people!"

Pamela looked up over her microscope as Dr. Jason Woodrue walked into the lab. He patted a few of his colleagues on the back until he saw her sitting over her microscope.

"I hope you're ready for this, Pamela."

She smiled happily, just as excited as he was.

"If Mr. Wayne likes what he sees, then we'll be able to continue our research for another seven years," he said, walking towards her.

She stood up, proudly. As excited as she was to see Bruce Wayne in the building, she couldn't hold in her happiness for her successful experiment.

"Jason, I did it," she announced, softly to him. "I was able to recreate an entirely new genome from that blue poppy."

He frowned and sighed.

"It's an entirely new species with similar properties, but different effects," she continued, her voice rising in excitement. To her, it felt like Christmas.

He held up his hand, instantly turning down her happiness.

"I thought I told you to cancel that project," he said. "I don't want this society to become involved with someone like..." Jason paused for a moment. "...well, you know."

Pamela smiled, placing her hand on Jason's shoulder.

"But think of it," she stated. "A brand new species, still unnamed."

"A dangerous one," he added. "And I want you to get rid of it before the executives from Wayne Enterprises arrive. The last thing I want is for them to discover this experiment of yours and then take away our funding."

"But..."

"No, Pamela," he said, sternly. "Shut it down."

Jason turned on his heel.

"I expect you to meet me down at the front doors," he called out. "You'll be giving the tour."

This surprised her. As much as she enjoyed speaking about botany and preserving earth's resources, she could think of at least a dozen people who could do a better job than her.

"Me?"

Dr. Woodrue turned at the door and smiled at her.

"You've met the executives from Wayne Enterprises before," he said. "Besides, you're one of the most knowledgeable people in the building. If they have questions, you'll have the answers."

He walked out of the laboratory, leaving Dr. Isley alone. She looked down at her notebook, seeing the pages upon pages of work that she had done to create this new flower. Quickly, she closed them all. Moments later, she was pushing as much of her research into her locker. She didn't have the heart to destroy her work. Besides, in her mind, Dr. Woodrue didn't want Wayne Enterprises to discover her experiment. He never said anything about destroying it.

Pamela sighed as she rested her back against the lockers. She pulled off her small glasses and set them down before pulling her hair into a tighter pony tail.

Dr. Isley was quite beautiful, but she would hide it behind her glasses and baggy white coat. She turned and looked into the mirror. Her bright green eyes stared back at her and seemed to smile. After giving herself an internal pep-talk, she walked down to the front door to wait for the executives.

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An hour earlier...

He ran. Bruce felt the scratches of every branch he pushed through. They were like bony fingers pulling at him in the night, trying to slow him down. Once in the clearing, he stopped. He turned, unsure of which direction to go next. It was dark and the moonless night made it even more difficult to figure out where he was. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to listen for anything. The wind whipped through the trees, knocking the branches together and picked up the dried leaves off the ground.

"Bruce!! Hurry!!"

Her echoed voice seemed to surround him. He didn't know which way to go next. He was beginning to feel desperate.

"Olivia!! Where are you?!?"

"Help me, please!!"

Her voice sounded frantic and painful and he was certain that she was sobbing.

Bruce spun around, trying to decipher where she was. Finally deciding, he raced back into the forest, clawing past trees and thick brush to get through.

"Mr. Wayne."

Bruce stopped, hearing his name. He recognized the voice but his mind couldn't connect it with the name.

"Mr. Wayne, wake up."

This time he felt a hand on his shoulder.

His eyes opened as he gasped and he slid down slightly in the leather chair. Bruce looked up, seeing the concerned face of the CEO of Wayne Enterprises.

"That must have been some dream," Mr. Fox commented as he sat back down across from Bruce.

"More like a nightmare," he stated as he pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat back up. Bruce turned to the window beside him and glanced out to see that they were still flying high over the clouds.

Lucius, meanwhile shook his newspaper as he turned the page.

"I take it that you didn't get much sleep before we left," Mr. Fox said.

Bruce thought back to when he returned from his nightly routine to find Olivia fast asleep in their bed. He longed to climb into bed beside her, just to feel her warmth and smell her familiar scent but this day had other plans for him. Instead, he went into the bathroom to shower up and quickly changed into his suit before he met Alfred downstairs to drive him to the airport.

"I didn't get any sleep. I didn't even get to see my wife awake."

Lucius winced and folded the paper down. For the past three years since they had been married, Bruce had purposely planned to be home for their anniversary, but this year was different. They were on a direct flight across the country to Seattle to meet with the directors of the Botanical Relief Society. It would be a short meeting, but the fact that it happened to fall on the same day as Bruce and Olivia's anniversary was another thing. Lucius knew the importance of spending time with his wife on their anniversary and could just imagine the wrath that Bruce could endure when he arrived home.

"I presume that you told her that you were going away for the day," Lucius said, to which Bruce nodded.

"I told her," he said. "And I also promised to be home later this evening. I think I'll take a break tonight too. It's been a while since I've stayed in all night."

Lucius smiled. 'Smart man,' he thought.

Bruce looked down at his watch, which was still set to the eastern time. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed before waiting to hear a voice. Her voice.

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Gotham City

Olivia wasn't surprised.

Bruce had told her a few days prior that he had to make a quick flight out to Seattle on their anniversary but she inwardly wished that she could've seen him that morning before he left. The last time she saw him was just before he left to do his nightly ritual of beating Gotham's criminal's to a pulp. She missed hearing his voice in her ear as she woke up in the morning and even those days were becoming increasingly rare.

Bruce had boughten Olivia an older restaurant as a wedding gift three years prior and she had spent a good six months with renovations in order to turn it into a sort of bakery/coffee house. When it opened, she would wake up early in the morning to go into work and prepare the baked goods for the morning rush. Most times she would miss Bruce before he would even arrive home.

Olivia was thankful for Alfred. If it wasn't for him, David would never get off to school in the mornings. She would pick David up at the private school which Bruce had once attended as a boy before returning home to see her husband for a few hours before he would leave again for the evening. And so, the days would continue like this, with a slight break in the summertime before it all began again. Olivia enjoyed the predictability of it all, but she missed Bruce.

When her cell phone began to ring in her jeans pocket, she reached for it and smiled, instantly recognizing the number. She excused herself from the front cash and allowed one of her co-op students to take over while she pushed open the door to the kitchen.

She flipped the cell phone open.

"Hello my love."

She could hear him chuckle softly and could tell he was smiling.

_"Hi honey,_" he said_. "Sorry I missed you this morning."_

"Yeah, I missed you too. How's the flight?"

_"Not too bad_," he said, purposely neglecting to inform her of his nightmare involving her. "_I was just calling to tell you happy anniversary and that I promise that I'll be back tonight."_

"Will you be staying in all night?"

She heard him sigh.

"I know that there are things that you need to do," she said, looking through the kitchen window to the front cash where a few patrons stood in line. "But could you stay in at least one night. It's our anniversary, Bruce."

_"Actually, I was planning on staying home all night,_" he told her as her smile widened. "_I was planning on telling you later on._"

"That has to be the best anniversary gift," she exclaimed. "Just wait until you see yours. Tell me now though; do you want it wrapped or unwrapped?"

He looked confused and sounded it.

_"Shouldn't it be wrapped?"_

She leaned against the kitchen wall and smiled, proudly. She chuckled.

"Okay then, I'll make sure that I'm dressed."

Olivia could hear him stammer slightly. Even after all these years, she could still cause him to stumble over his words. She could just imagine Mr. Fox's face as he shared the private jet with his employer.

_"In that case, unwrapped would be fine."_

She smiled.

"I thought so," she said. "I love you."

_"I love you too,_" he said. _"I'll be home soon."_

"Bye.

_"Bye."_

Olivia tucked the cell phone back into her pocket and pushed through the door into the front part of the bakery. It was now quite busy as patrons filled the place.

"Mrs. Wayne," a young college girl at the till called to her. "Do we have any of those sticky buns left?"

"I'll check, Celine," Olivia said, ducking underneath the counter.

As much as she enjoyed working at the bakery, Olivia couldn't wait for the day to be over.

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Seattle, Washington

10:30am

They were late. An unexpected rain storm caused a slight delay at the airport but they finally arrived at the Botanical Relief Society. The door to the Mercedes opened and Bruce stepped out and under an opened umbrella. He waited until Mr. Fox was beside him before entering the building. When they stepped inside, they were instantly greeted.

A man in his mid-fourties eagerly reached out his hand to shake with the two business men.

"Mr. Fox and Mr. Wayne," he said. "I'm glad that you could make it."

Both Bruce and Lucius smiled as they shook the man's hand.

"Dr. Woodrue," Lucius said. "Thank you for accommodating us."

"Of course," he stated as he turned to the woman beside him. "And you remember Dr. Isley."

The woman happily extended her hand towards them. Mr. Fox was the first to shake her hand and nodded in greeting.

"How have you been, doctor?" Bruce asked as he shook her hand. He smiled.

"Very well, thank you," she replied. "If either of you have any questions, I'll try my best to answer them for you."

Pamela began the tour and showed the two men the various departments within the Botanical Relief. She noted that Bruce Wayne didn't seem to interested in what he was seeing and this was starting to concern her. She had hoped that he would be excited to see what his money was doing for the environment. In her mind, someone of his stature and influence could have a great impact on how others view the importance of protecting the environment. She was determined to do what she could to secure their funding.

When they arrived in the research department, she turned to a large array of plants that they had growing within a small table top greenhouse and began to speak about how they've been created to survive in climates and conditions where they would normally die.

Her presentation didn't seem to interest the billionaire either. He always seemed to be looking around the room. She was beginning to wonder if he had any interests either than buying extravagant things or flirting with woman.

She led them into the lab where a dozen microscopes sat proudly on the tables.

Bruce once again glanced around the room. It must have been obvious that he didn't want to be there. Botany was never something that interested him but he liked how the society was busy with cleaning up the environment. He was busy thinking of his wife and eagerly waiting for when they could leave. He listened to the questions that Mr. Fox asked and listened half-hearted to the answers he was getting. Suddenly, something caught his eye. He couldn't believe what he was looking at. He walked away from where Mr. Fox stood speaking to Dr. Isley. She glanced over to where Bruce walked as she spoke, her words suddenly escaping her when she realized what the billionaire had found.

Bruce picked up the small blue poppy. It was the same.

"Where did you get this flower?"

Pamela's face paled. How could she had forgotten to put the flower away with her research?

"It's actually a new species based off of an existing one," she said, walking rather quickly over to where the billionaire stood. "It was donated and the project has been terminated, so I'm not certain where it originates from." She gently took the flower away from him.

"Oh, I was just wondering where you got it because I'm certain it would be something my wife would like," he said, making up the first excuse that he could come up with. It was a realistic one too. Olivia would appreciate that flower and Bruce was sure that he waas looking at the same flower that he once picked on the hills of the Himalayas.

Dr. Isley stared blankly at Bruce.

"Your wife? I wasn't aware that you were married yet."

Bruce grinned. "Three years today."

Pamela winced inwardly and forced a smile. "Congratulations. Send my regards to your wife."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Wayne, Mr. Fox," Dr. Woodrue said, suddenly appearing in the room. "May I speak with Dr. Isley for a moment?"

"Of course," Mr. Fox said, smiling as the woman walked out of the lab and into the hallway.

Lucius turned to Bruce.

"Is that what I think it was?"

Bruce nodded. "How the hell did that flower get here?"

"Do you think there could be any connection to those men that terrorized Gotham a few years back?"

"Ra's Al Ghul is gone," Bruce reminded him. "What I learned is that they are nothing without a leader but the fact that this flower is here concerns me."

A few moments later, Dr. Woodrue walked into the lab, alone.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Something has come up and the tour will have to be put on hold. Perhaps we can discuss any further questions you may have in my office upstairs."

Bruce shrugged and plastered a smile on his face before following Dr. Woodrue out of the lab and into the hallway. They reached the elevator when a loud buzzing alarm flooded the hallways.

"What the hell?" Dr. Woodrue cursed as dozens of scientists and office personnel filled the hallways. With the alarm on, the elevator was shut down. He grabbed hold of the first person that rushed past him. "What's going on?"

"There has been a containment failure in research room 5," he said, pushing to get past. "I'm not sticking around to see what exactly has lost containment."

Dr. Woodrue thought for a moment as his eyes widened, realizing what was stored in that particular room. He turned to Mr. Fox and Mr. Wayne.

"You both need to leave this area," he told them urgently, pushing them towards the stairs. The hall was already beginning to fill with a light dust. "Get out."

Bruce usually would argue with the man, but he had no authorization to order him to leave. In actuality, everyone would expect him to leave. He turned with Lucius at his side as they rushed down the stairs.

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The alarms were deafening, but it was worth it. She was angry. How could Jason fire her for something as simple as leaving a plant out? Granted, it was from a project that he told her to discontinue. Rather than simply leaving the building, she thought it best to ruin any chance of him getting his precious grant from Wayne Enterprises by destroying years of research. Pamela looked up as the haze filled the room. She found it odd that it wasn't bothering her in the least. The dozens of spores; some safe and some lethal were at hazardous levels in the room.

She was surprised when the door suddenly opened and Dr. Jason Woodrue fell into the room. He coughed and choked as he looked at her standing calmly in the middle of the room. A small smile tugged at the side of her mouth.

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

Pamela couldn't understand why she was getting satisfaction at seeing him choke to death on the toxins in the room. She now felt empowered after earlier being yelled at by the man that now cowered at her feet in pain. He looked up at her with wide eyes as his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Dr. Isley seemed to know the question he was asking.

"I don't know why I'm standing here and you're down there," she began. "But once I opened that containment, I haven't felt better than I have in my entire life. I have no idea why I'm not laying on the floor beside you."

A revelation came to her.

"Perhaps it's from all those years of using myself as a test subject for my experiments," she said, excitedly. "In a way, I could be immune to sicknesses and diseases. The very plants that kill you, give me life."

She leaned over Jason as he started up at her, wide-eyed with his mouth open. Suddenly, she could hear footsteps coming down the hallway. Quickly, she ran out of the room by a back door as men in haz-mat suits walked into the room.

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7:48pm

Gotham City

Olivia stood on the tarmac, waiting anxiously to see Bruce walk off the private plane as it came to a stop a few hundred meters away from her. The numerous news reports and photo's of the environmental emergency in Seattle was enough to make her sick to her stomach. She had received a phone call from Wayne Enterprises to the bakery earlier in the day, prior to any news reports that Bruce was in the building at the time of the accident. She had tried to keep herself busy at the bakery but after having to prepare the same bread dough recipe twice, she knew that she would be useless for the rest of the day. Olivia left the closing of the store to a couple of her university co-op students and headed home. After speaking with Bruce on the phone when he was finally released from the hospital with Lucius, she still couldn't relax. She had to see him. It had been the longest afternoon that she could remember.

Now as she stood, watching as the stairs moved towards the plane, she squinted to see when Bruce would walk off. She walked towards the plane as the door opened and she could then see Lucius and Bruce begin to walk down the stairs. She could see the flashes of light reflecting off the stairs coming from photographers closer to the terminal eager to get a picture of Bruce and Lucius as they come off the plane from their Seattle trip.

"Bruce!"

He looked up and smiled, seeing Olivia walking quickly towards the stairs. He turned and shook Lucius' hand before once again turning his attention back to his wife.

Olivia had never seen him smile so broadly in a long time. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck as Bruce held her tightly. He took a deep breath, feeling her hair against his face. Slowly, Olivia loosened her grip around his neck and felt herself being lowered until she was face to face with Bruce. He pushed her hair away from her face and leaned in and kissed her.

"I'm so glad you're okay and that you're home," Olivia said when they broke the kiss. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they walked off the tarmac towards the car. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he said. "I can't wait to get home though."

Olivia smiled.

"David is eager to see you. He's joined the soccer team."

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Wayne Manor

9:36pm

"You've should have seen me," David said, as he stood in the middle of the den, still wearing the school soccer uniform and holding a ball in his hand. He excitedly recounted how he scored one of the five goals during the first soccer practice of the school year and included every highlight in dramatic detail. Olivia chuckled as he even reenacted his team's victory dance after each goal. At nearly twelve years old, the boy was looking more and more like his father all the time. He still had her nose though and her lighter brown hair. Olivia couldn't believe how tall he had gotten over the summer. He would be twelve before Christmas. Olivia shook her head. She never thought she'd live to see the day.

"Alfred mentioned that Jessica McLaughlin was there as well," Olivia said.

David nodded. Jessica had become a familiar name and face around Wayne Manor. Both she and David had started at the private school on the same day three years prior and quickly became friends. She would spend days in the summertime playing at Wayne Manor. Her father worked as a stock broker at the bank while her mother worked for the city.

"Jessica and I are working on a school project," David explained. "She wanted to talk about it after the practice. Could I go over to her house on the weekend to work on it?"

Olivia nodded. "I'll talk to Mrs. McLaughlin about it, but it shouldn't be a problem."

Bruce stretched and glanced at the clock on the wall.

"It's nearly ten o'clock," he said. "Bedtime, David."

Olivia stood up. "I think it's bedtime for all of us. Some of us have had a busy day."

She stopped and put her hands on Bruce's shoulders as David ran out of the room, soccer ball in hand. A moment later, she heard it bouncing over the marble floors.

"Not in the house, David!" she called out just as the bouncing stopped.

Bruce chuckled as he stood up and took Olivia's hand.

"Now," he began as his arms encircled Olivia's waist. He lightly kissed her neck. "Let's talk about that anniversary gift."

"Upstairs," Olivia whispered as they left the room and headed towards the master bedroom.

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Seattle, Washington

9:34pm

Pamela sat at her laptop, her hair in a loose pony tail on top of her head as she typed busily on the keyboard. She casually blew her hair out of her eyes and pushed her glasses up higher on her nose. Her co-workers had been calling her all afternoon, trying to track her down. She ignored the phone calls. The last people she wanted to see were those from the Botanical Relief. They were the same people that caused her grief. It was too bad that they weren't inside that research room along with Dr. Woodrue. She wouldn't have minded to see them all twitch on the floor as they choked to death on the spores and toxins in the air.

She felt different since returning back to her apartment. She felt more empowered as a woman and as an environmentalist.

She glanced over at the blue poppy plant sitting on her counter. Pamela turned to the notebook beside her and looked at the first page where she had written in it. A sudden knock on the door caused her to glance up. She unfolded her legs and walked towards the door. She peeked through the hole, her eyes widening when she realized who stood on the other side. Quickly, she opened it.

"It's you," she said.

The man walked into her small apartment.

"You're the one that brought me the flower."

"That's right," the man said. "My name is Henri Ducard."

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A/N - I know it's slow right now, but I don't want to leave loose ends and I need to set things up for what's to come...please read and review...I always appreciate hearing from my readers...


	2. Chapter 2

A/N - Thanks to all those who put this on their favourites, alerts and who reviewed. Now I know that Pamela Isley isn't acting a lot like her alter ego, Poison Ivy, but I'm slowly developing her character. The story is slowly building and I hope that you stick with me through it. I'd suggest to anyone who is reading this, that you make sure to read 'Thicker Than Water' prior to this one. It will answer questions that you might have about the characters along the way that I don't touch upon in the story itself.

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Seattle, Washington

"Come in," Dr. Isley said, as she opened the door wide for Ducard. She remembered back to when she first met him nearly 2 years prior. She thought he was a little eccentric when he spoke about how special the flower was. But after doing her research, she had to agree with the man. He glanced around her modest apartment. On every windowsill sat an array of different plants. She even had some hanging from the ceiling and a vine-like plant growing above her kitchen cupboards. Ducard then glanced over at her laptop, oddly surprised to see a photo of his greatest student and once ally on the screen.

"I thought that your interest was merely with plants, doctor," Ducard said as he looked at her computer.

"Bruce Wayne is one of the major benefactors for the Botanical Relief," she explained. "He comes by once a year. If it wasn't for his generous donations, I wouldn't be able to do my research."

"Generous donations? Is that so?"

She nodded. "I'm hoping to get in contact with him to see if he'd like to continue funding my research now that the Botanical Relief has run into some issues."

He sat down on the couch inside her small apartment.

"I heard about that unusual accident," he said, watching her carefully. "It's a wonder that you made it out in time and was able to save my flower and your research."

Pamela shrugged. "I'd do anything for my plants and I'm hoping that if he cares so much about the environment that maybe he'll help me out, if I can get to him."

Ducard merely nodded, thinking about how he could help her.

"Tell me about your research that you have done on my flower," he said.

Pamela turned to the blue poppy that sat in its pot on her counter. She smiled.

"It's amazing," she said, her eyes lighting up with the excitement of telling someone what she had accomplished. "When you told me that the flower had special hallucinogenic properties, I was able to determine the exact spot on the plants genome and changed it."

"Changed it? How?"

"I discovered that because of the hallucinogenic aspect of the flower, bees and other insects tended to stay away from it. I wanted the flower to become more attractive to insects," she said. "Something that will give it a step above the rest. I replaced the hallucinogenic property with a certain pheromone that will be attractive to anything or anyone who smells the flower. Subsequently, I wanted to protect it. Within its stem is a poison that can be deadly if ingested."

A smile slowly grew on Ducard's face.

"Amazing," he said.

Pamela walked over to the plant and lovingly touched it's petals.

"It certainly is," she cooed.

"Could the plant be used in the same way as it's cousin, per say?"

Dr. Isley thought for a moment and grinned.

"Why not?"

Ducard stood up, satisfied with what he had found. He knew that after meeting Dr. Isley two years earlier that she would prove to be the perfect person to work on his flower. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"I have something that I think can help you," he said as she read the paper. "It'll get you in to the party. Bruce Wayne will be there and it would be a perfect opportunity to test out the new properties of this plant."

Dr. Isley smiled happily, holding the paper.

"And in return, I'd like you to make more of these plants and prepare as much of this compound as possible," he said, walking towards the door. "If you're needing some space to work while you're in Gotham, let me know."

He held out his hand to her, to which she took and shook graciously before he left her apartment.

Pamela looked down at the invitation in her hands and smirked before looking over at the blue poppy.

"I hope you travel well," she said to it.

-----------------

Gotham City

4:58am

Olivia opened her eyes, feeling a heavy weight rest across her side. She could feel heat radiating on her back and a slow, rhythmic breathing on her bare neck. She tipped her head up to check the time as the alarm had yet to go off. She smiled, seeing that she woke two minutes before it would go off. Olivia reached over and turned it off before gently caressing the strong arm that wrapped itself around her waist.

"Bruce," she said softly. No response.

"Bruce, I need to get up."

This time, her words were followed by the man in question moving closer into her and sighing as he held her securely next to him. Olivia smiled.

"As much as I'd love to stay here with you, I need to get to work," she said as he reluctantly released her and rolled onto his back. Olivia smirked as she sat up, picking her shirt off the floor and pulling it over her head. She glanced back at Bruce behind her, his chest bare marked with years of scars and bruising. He smiled at her as he tucked a hand under his head.

With his extra hand, he reached out and took her arm.

"Once more?"

Olivia chuckled. "I can't. I'd love to, but I can't. I have a date with at least a dozen loaves of bread and too many muffins to count."

She stood up and picked up extra clothing on the floor as she made her way towards the bathroom. She reached into the shower and turned it on, allowing it to warm up. Olivia turned and gasped, seeing Bruce standing at the door. How he could move so quietly when he wanted to, still baffled her. Somehow between the bed and the bathroom, he had managed to find his pajama pants and put them on.

"Go back to bed," she told him. "You don't need to get up for another few hours."

He crossed his arms and smiled smugly. Olivia rolled her eyes as she once again took off her shirt and slipped into the shower.

"I wanted to talk to you about something before you left for work," he said, leaning against the bathroom wall.

"What about?"

"When we saw Dr. Montgomery last week, you never told me what you wanted to do," he said.

Olivia ran her wet hands over her face, remembering the meeting they had at the fertility clinic with Dr. Montgomery. He had laid out their options as it was clear that in the three years they had been married, that they were not going to be able to conceive on their own. They had tried everything from old wives tales on what to eat to timing things perfectly. Olivia even became obsessed with taking her temperature everyday along with the ovulation kit, claiming that she could better pinpoint the best time to conceive. But as time went on and since her accident with Joker years before, it had left her chances of becoming pregnant on their own to nothing.

"I don't really know what I'd like to do."

"I'll agree to whatever you'd like to do," he said. "If you want to do the drugs along with the invitro, don't worry about the price. Or, if you're just wanting to look at adoption, I'm alright with that too."

He listened, waiting for her response. He heard a sniff.

"Olivia?"

Gently, he pulled the curtain back. She was crying and was trying her best to conceal it. She had her back towards him as the water from the shower poured over her head. He quickly shed the pajama pants and stepped into the shower with her. He gasped slightly at the high temperature of the water that Olivia always enjoyed to have it at. He quickly recovered and sighed, enjoying the warm water on his skin.

"Olivia?" he asked again, touching her shoulder. She looked at him, seeing the water drip off his hair. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head.

"I don't know why you married me, Bruce," she said, holding in a sob that was threatening to come out. "You knew that I couldn't have kids."

He pulled her into him and wrapped his arms around her.

"I married you because I love you," he said, firmly.

She let out a shaky sigh as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"I feel like a failure," she said, dishearteningly. "I feel like I'm broken."

Bruce pulled her away from him and held her face between his hands. A smile came to his face.

"You had David years ago," he said, softly. "He's healthy and you've always taken great care of him. Never think that you're a failure. And the only one that you can blame for this is Joker. It was never your fault."

His words always seemed to calm her as did the gentle caressing of his rough thumbs on her cheeks. He leaned down and gently kissed her mouth. She reached forward and placed her hands on his chest before slowly moving up to his neck and then intertwined them in his hair. Bruce let out a slight moan as she felt his hands quickly move from her hips and up her back to her shoulders and then down her sides. It took most of her will power to break the kiss. She smiled, resting her head against his chin and feeling his breathing slow down once again.

"I'll make a follow-up appointment for later today," she said softly. "I'll tell him that we'll give the invitro a try."

"Okay," Bruce replied.

---------------

A few hours later, Bruce walked down the marble staircase, his footsteps echoing with each step. He stopped mid-step when he heard a rush of quick footsteps coming from behind him followed by a pause. He glanced behind him to see David running down the stairs and then jumping off the third to last step to each landing.

"David!! You're going to slip one of the these times! Why the rush?"

David looked over his shoulder once he made it to the bottom of the stairs and pulled his backpack higher up on his shoulder. He smirked, matching that of his father.

"I'm going to be late," he explained.

"Do you need a ride?"

"Alfred said he'd drive me," David said, rushing towards the front door. "He's probably already waiting outside."

"I can get you faster. I have the Lamborghini."

David stopped in the door just as he was about to run out and turned to see his Dad at the bottom of the stairs, adjusting his tie. David grinned, knowing that Bruce could easily get him to school earlier than Alfred ever would.

--------------

David always enjoyed the exhilaration of speed. Olivia told him that was one part of him that was uniquely one of his father's traits. She didn't care for speed, and in fact would eventually end up getting car sick with the quick turns and movements.

He reached forward to the radio dial as Bruce drove the Lamborghini into the city. David changed the radio stations until he came to one that was playing music that he liked and turned up the volume. Bruce winced and leaned forward to turn it down a bit.

"Are you serious? You like this music?"

David grinned and shrugged.

"Everyone does."

Bruce merely shook his head as he kept he fixed his eyes on the road. David rolled down the window slightly, allowing the wind to catch the top of his unruly mop of hair. He refused to have it cut and Olivia was all right with it as long as it didn't get long enough that it was over his eyes or a length that a girl would have it at. He was lucky. His hair had a slight wave to it that made it look decent on him.

He listened as the music on the radio ended and turned to the latest news. He once again leaned forward to change the station, but Bruce put out his hand, stopping him.

"Hold on a sec," he said, turning up the volume in the small sports car.

"...an attempted robbery a few nights ago at an uptown pub has led to over $10,000 in fire damages. The masked vigilante known as Batman was seen by eyewitnesses as he quickly and efficiently disarmed the robbers and tied them up for the police. Unfortunately, during the brawl an electrical fire erupted near the back of the pub causing substantial damage. The owner of the pub is now requesting compensation from the Dark Knight. He has approached the police commissioner and unfortunately, we haven't been able to get a comment from him. In other news..."

"That's so stupid!" David exclaimed as Bruce turned the volume to a lower level. "He's wanting you to pay for damages when technically you just saved his business from being robbed? You know what, Dad? You should train me to fight and I could help you out at night."

Bruce let out a mock laugh. "Not in my lifetime, bud."

"Then, could you at least teach me how to fight?"

Bruce sighed and shook his head. "We talked about this before, David. You're too young to handle..."

"To handle the responsibility, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know," David finished for him with a slight roll of the eye.

"Besides, your Mom would kill me if she knew that I was teaching you how to fight."

"Then, maybe you don't have to teach me how to fight, but at least how to protect myself if I ever get into a fight," David suggested, which caused Bruce to glance over at him.

"What's going on?"

David looked out the window and shook his head. "Nothing. Forget about what I said."

"No, I want to know what's bothering you," Bruce said, genuinely. "You wouldn't have brought it up if it wasn't important to you."

David sighed, still looking out the window at the buildings that passed by.

"Okay, but don't tell Mom!"

Bruce nodded in agreement.

"There's this kid in my class that says that if I don't let him copy my work, then he'll beat me up," David admitted.

"You're letting him cheat off you?"

"What am I supposed to do, Dad? If I don't, he'll kill me!"

Bruce couldn't help but smile inwardly at David's exaggeration.

"Tell your teacher. That's what they're there for."

David shook his head. "I did and nothing changed."

"Do you want me to go in and talk to them?"

David's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"No, Dad. That would make things worse. I can take care of it."

Bruce thought for a moment as they approached the school grounds. He pulled the car over to the curb and shifted it into park. Bruce turned to the boy next to him who was busy looking out the window for familiar faces.

"Tell you what," Bruce began, causing David to look at him. "I'll teach you a few things to protect yourself, but you need to promise me that you wont let that kid cheat off of you anymore. I know how hard you work to be able to play on the soccer team."

A smile came to his face and David nodded.

"Also, I was wondering if I could go over to Jeffrey Bingham's house after school," David said, before he was about to open the car door. "We were going to practice some soccer at his place."

"Sure, I guess," Bruce said. "I'll have Alfred come and get you around seven tonight."

The car stopped and David picked up his bag that sat on the floor between his legs.

"It's okay," he said. "Jeffrey said his older brother, John could bring me home when we're done."

"No later than seven then," Bruce said as David opened the car door. He didn't hear David acknowledge that he heard him. Bruce leaned forward as David climbed out. "Seven, got it?"

David grinned and nodded. "I got it, Dad."

Bruce smiled. "Have a good day."

David closed the door and ran off towards where a small group of boys stood around.

------------

Wayne Enterprises

9:28am

Bruce stood at his office window looking down at the lively city below him as his assistant spoke behind him.

"...and there is that charity event this weekend at Gotham Golf and Country Club put on by the city," the assistant said, looking down into a small date book. "The Mayor's office was wondering if you and your wife were planning on attending."

He turned.

"It's an election year. I'm sure that Mayor Garcia is going to be looking for votes as well," Bruce added.

"More than likely, sir," the assistant said with a knowing smile.

Finally, he nodded.

"Tell them that we'll be there," he said. His assistant nodded.

"Oh and there's one more thing," she said, setting a closed envelope on his desk. "This arrived for you from the Botanical Relief Society. As a benefactor, they outlined the damages incured during the accident for your review."

Bruce nodded as he picked it up to open while his assistant turned to walk out the door.

"Thank you, Beth," he called out, which prompted a slight smile from the assistant before she closed the door behind her.

Bruce opened the envelope and began to read.

------------------

"Are you certain?"

Bruce looked over the reports from the accident at the Botanical Relief at least a half dozen times. He couldn't believe what he was reading. The accident wasn't an accident. The containment area had been purposely opened.

"I asked the same thing when I first read the report," Lucius said, sitting across from his boss at the large mahogany table.

"I can't understand why someone would open a closed containment area, especially one containing stuff like ricin and alkaloids. Those are highly toxic plant compounds."

"And Dr. Woodrue was the only one found in the room," Lucius added. "He was with us the entire time until he left to find out what was going on."

Bruce set the report down on the table.

"I hate to do this but I think we should pull our funding from the Botanical Relief," he said. "I just don't feel comfortable with what's going on there right now, especially after seeing that blue flower and now with someone purposefully trying to destroy research."

Lucius nodded in agreement.

"I'll have the paperwork prepared later today," he said.

----------

Westview Medical Centre

1:56pm

The longer she sat there, the more likely she would be walking out of the office with her cuticles torn up. Olivia hated doctor's offices and in her nervous anxiety, she would scratch at the skin around her nails. The soft contemporary music played over the speakers in the office and she lightly hummed to the songs that she would recognize. Realizing that others could hear, she smiled politely to the other couple in the room before casually picking up the magazine off the table beside her. Every other book on the table featured a cute chubby-faced baby on the cover or a glowing, pregnant woman. Olivia sighed and prayed that no one would recognize her. The last thing she wanted was to read about her day in the fertility clinic.

She looked up as the door slowly opened and a young oriental woman popped her head into the waiting room. Their eyes met and the woman smiled.

"Olivia?"

Letting out a nervous sigh, Olivia stood up and pulled her purse up onto her shoulder before following the nurse out of the waiting area.

"How are you today?" she asked, looking over her shoulder as she walked.

"Good."

The nurse stopped at an open door and waited for Olivia to walk in first. She closed the door behind her and opened the manila file on the table as Olivia sat down on the examining table.

"My name is Danielle Chang," she said softly. "I understand that you wanted to speak to Dr. Montgomery about beginning invitro treatment."

Olivia nodded and smiled.

"Dr. Montgomery isn't in right now," she said. "But he told me to get you ready to start with the medication portion of the treatment before we go ahead with the actual invitro which wont be for another month or so. So, I'm going to check your vitals and get some blood work done. When everything comes back, then you'll be able to see Dr. Montgomery about starting your meds."

Olivia listened as Danielle spoke and watched as she took the blood pressure cuff from the wall. Once she heard the words, 'blood work' she was certain that her blood pressure was rising. Olivia hated needles and was now dreading the next few minutes.

Olivia pushed her sleeve up past her elbow as Danielle wrapped the cuff around her arm. "You have a son, right?"

"Yes, he'll be twelve just before Christmas," Olivia said softly, as Danielle placed her stethoscope on her inner elbow, listening. She smiled, politely.

"Nervous?"

Olivia chuckled and nodded.

She pulled the stethoscope from her ears and unwrapped the blood pressure cuff.

"Don't be," Danielle said. "Just think. If everything goes as planned, your son could have a brother or sister in less than a year."

Danielle walked over to the cupboard to retrieve the items she would need to take five vials of blood. Olivia could already feel herself get lightheaded and she looked away as Danielle pricked her arm and took the blood. When she was done, she pressed the small ball of cotton to Olivia's inner elbow and flexed it upward before picking up the blood.

"I'll have these sent down to the lab and I'll have Dr. Montgomery call you to schedule your next appointment," she said, opening the door.

Olivia thanked the nurse and slid off the table.

---------

Thornley Bakery

2:45pm

Olivia had no idea how she made it from the doctors to the bakery but she was glad to finally walk through the doors. She felt like she was in a haze during her entire trip back. She was beginning to wonder if she looked as bad as she felt. Olivia pushed open the door, hearing the familiar bell ringing above her head. The smell of fresh baked bread poured out the door as she walked in. She was instantly greeted by one of her college co-op students who was cleaning up.

"How was the doctors? You look horrible!" Amanda said, from where she was cleaning up a small bistro table. She watched as her employer walked across the bakery, her face pale.

Amanda looked over at Celine, the 22 year old college student who stood behind the counter, concerned for Olivia.

"It was fine," she replied, walking towards the counter. "And I feel terrible. I think they took too much blood and didn't leave enough for myself."

Celine glanced down at Olivia's arm to see a small bruise beginning to appear on the inside of her elbow.

"I see you had a date with the vampires," she said. Olivia looked up at Celine, confused until she glanced down at the piece of the cotton ball taped to her arm. She laughed at the young girl's analogy.

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "I always seem to bruise after getting blood work done. I'll be sore for a few days, but I think I should've laid down before leaving the office."

"You had blood work done?"

Olivia turned to see Adam, another one of her college-aged employees as he walked out of the kitchen. He had heard part of the conversation before walking out. He carried a tray of three fresh pans of bread and set them on the table before Celine gently took each one and placed it below the glass counter-top.

"What for?" he asked, wiping his hands on his white apron before passing Olivia an apron from behind him. She gently lowered her purse to the floor in order to pull the apron over her head.

"Routine stuff," Olivia replied, as she tied the strings behind her back.

The last thing she remembered was bending over to pick up her purse off the floor, before everything went black.

--------

A/N - Seriously, I hate blood work..can't look at the needles and the sound of the blood filling the vile...ugh...don't even want to think about it now. My brother is a big guy...built and big...and he has to lay down to get blood work done or else he passes out...and no one wants to pick up a 240lb guy off the floor....


	3. Chapter 3

A/N - I'm glad everyone is enjoying this. I'm enjoying writing it the further I get into this... I hope my pace isn't going too fast either. I dislike fics that jump right into it... Also, my chapters tend to be around 4000(give or take) words... I'm thinking it might be too long per chapter, but if you're liking the length, let me know too... Thanks!!

-----

Thornley Bakery

Thursday, August 29th

2:45pm

Olivia held her hand to her head as she began to see clearly once again. A cool cloth was on her neck and the nauseating feeling had disappeared. She opened her eyes, seeing the concerned faces of two of her employees in front of her. She looked around, realizing that she was sitting in the back kitchen beside the fridge.

"Are you all right, Mrs. Wayne?" Celine asked as Olivia slowly sat completely upright in the chair. Adam placed a cup of water on the counter beside her. Olivia nodded and smiled as she took the cup and drank some of the water.

"Are you sure? I mean, you pretty much passed out from picking your purse off the floor," Adam stated, glancing over at Celine.

"Adam carried you back here so that we could open the fridge to get some cooler air for you," Celine said.

Olivia ran her hand across her neck and smiled.

"It's been a while since I've had any blood work done," she said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they tell me that I'm anemic now."

Suddenly, the kitchen door pushed opened slightly and Amanda's head popped through.

"Uh, someone tall, handsome and looking hot is here," she said softly, smiling ear to ear. Olivia knew exactly whom Amanda was talking about as she would often talk about men that way.

"You didn't call him, did you?" Olivia stood up, and Adam took her arm to steady herself.

"We panicked," Celine admitted, as the kitchen door opened wider and Bruce stepped in.

He was dressed in his suit and appeared like he came straight from work.

"Olivia, I heard what happened," he said, walking towards her. "Are you feeling all right?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. I just fainted because I had some blood work done today. I'm sorry that they called you away from work."

He shook his head. "No, I'm glad that they did. Are you all right?"

Olivia had to laugh.

"Yes, I'm fine," she repeated again. "I was just a little lightheaded from my appointment today. Nothings wrong."

"Maybe you should head home," Bruce suggested.

Olivia was surprised to see that he was serious.

"I'm not going home. There's too much to do here. If I have any more problems, I'll go home."

Bruce sighed and smiled. He knew it would be an unending battle if he kept it going. She could be just as stubborn as he was at times.

For emphasis, she reached over and kissed him on the cheek. "Stop worrying so much."

--------------------

3:14pm

"Are you ready to go, Wayne?"

David looked up from where he was stuffing his bag full of the books that he was wanting to take home. Two boys whom he recognized from being in Jeffrey's older brother, John's class stood beside John and Jeffrey.

"Yeah," he said, standing up to stand beside Jeffrey. The small group of boys walked out to John's BMW and each got it. It didn't take David long to realize that they weren't headed towards the Bingham house.

"Where are we going?"

Shawn, one of John's friends who sat in the front seat turned and smiled.

"Just making a quick stop," he said, smiling.

David glanced out the window when he realized that they were heading across the bridge towards the Narrows. He had been told stories about what happens in the Narrows and was nearly threatened by his father to never go there.

"Why are we going to the Narrows? It's not safe."

John laughed.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions, Wayne," he said. "It's fine to go to the Narrows during the day. It's at night when you don't want to be seen over here."

John's logic made sense to him, but he still wouldn't want to be around if Bruce ever heard that he had been in the Narrows on his own, whether it be during the day or at night.

David watched as John parked the car along the curb and the three older boys climbed out. David looked at Jeffrey beside him.

"What are we doing here?"

Jeffrey looked down, uncomfortably.

"Don't tell anyone, but John and his friends come down here so he can feel better," he said. "He uses the money that my Dad gives him every week as an allowance to buy drugs."

David looked back out the window as the boys crossed the street. When John realized that Jeffrey and David were still in the car he waved at them to come out. Jeffrey began to open the door.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," David said.

Jeffrey shrugged.

"I'd rather be with those three than alone in this car."

David had to agree. With the odd people walking the streets, the sight of a BMW sitting on the curb was enough to gain attention and he didn't want to be around if it caught the attention of someone dangerous.

He followed Jeffrey out of the car and the two boys ran to catch up with John and his friends as they walked between alleys and across to the next street. They finally stood on the front porch of an old, run down home. John turned to the two younger boys.

"Stay here and don't say a word," he warned before knocking on the door. David looked up as an awfully ugly looking man pushed the door open allowing the three older boys inside.

The time they stood on the porch felt like forever. David felt like he was being watched from all angles.

"I have something better than you could ever buy," a voice called out into the alley. It startled all five boys to the point where Shawn dropped his lighter. Quickly, he picked it up and the boys all began to run further down the alley. As if out of no where, another five men appeared in the alley. Within seconds, the five 'shadows' each had caught one of the boys.

"I don't know why you run," the voice said again as he walked towards them, looking each of the boys in the eye. "If it's drugs you're wanting, I can easily have that arranged for a price better than...."

The man stopped as he stared at David. He walked towards him as the light from the sun brightened on his face enough for him to see the boy in front of him. A smile grew on the man's face as he yelled out a command in another language. Instantly, the other boys, minus David were released. The boys all began to run down the alley. David merely squirmed in his captuerer's hands as he called out for his friends to help him. The more he struggled, the tighter he was held. David finally made eye contact with the man and the man smiled once again.

"Your eyes are familiar," he said. "Tell me, who is your father?"

David didn't say a word in fear that this man recognized his eyes as those resembling the dark knight. He breathed deeply, trying to calm himself down.

The man merely smiled, satisfied.

"Yes, I do see him in your eyes," the man said. "Bruce Wayne. Your father and I go way back. I know him very well."

The man glanced at the one holding David and nodded as David was released.

"Yeah, you can learn a lot from reading the trashy magazines at the grocery store," he quipped, nervously.

The man chuckled.

"No, I mean, I know more than most people ever will. Like how talented he is when it comes to singlehandely taking down a group of eight armed men with his bare hands. I taught him those things," the man said. "My name is Henri Ducard."

David's face fell. He knew about Batman. Bruce had told him stories about when he was in the Himalayas and traveling around the world. He even mentioned to him about Ducard or as he was otherwise known as, Ra's Al Ghul.

"I see that he's told you about me," Ducard said, seeing David's expression.

"Only that you're supposed to be dead."

Ducard smiled smugly.

"Your father was one of my greatest students," he said. "He's obviously not a good teacher. I can tell that he hasn't trained you with the things that I had taught him."

"He doesn't want me to learn."

"Why am I not surprised?" Ducard mumbled. He took a deep breath. "I can teach you. If you're half the man that he'll become, you have the potential to learn and possibly surpass the greatness of your father. Consider my offer."

Ducard reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of drugs and handed them to David.

"How do I contact you?"

Ducard smirked.

"I'll find you."

------------

Wayne Manor

8:49pm

With every passing minute, Olivia could see Bruce's firmly set jaw clench tighter. He was beginning to pace which was never a good sign. Not even her calming words that would usually cool down his temper were working. She sat on the bottom step of the stairs as she watched her husband slowly fume as he walked back and forth across the front entryway of the house, occasionally glancing at the front door as if it was going to magically open on it with his eyes.

Finally, the door did open. Olivia stood up when she heard the handle being pulled and David quietly pushed it open, certainly not expecting to see two pairs of eyes looking at him as he did so.

"Where the hell have you been?" Bruce exclaimed. He seemed surprised to hear Bruce's outburst and turned to slowly close the front door behind him. David turned, seeing the anger in his father's eyes. His Mom stood a few meters behind him, looking equally disappointed with her arms crossed in front of her. "I told you seven and it's nearly nine o'clock."

"Jeffrey's brother wasn't able to bring me home until now," he explained, softly.

"We called the Bingham's and you and Jeffrey's weren't there. Where the hell were you?!"

David shrugged sheepishly as he looked at his mother, hoping to gain some sympathy. When he didn't get any, he dropped his bag by the door.

"I lost track of time," he admitted. "We were at a field kicking the ball around."

It was in fact true. After Ducard had given him the drugs, he managed to find Jeffrey and John in their car. He gave them the drugs that Ducard had offered before they drove the two younger boys to a field. David had no idea what time it was until John called over saying that he was going to be late for his television show, which started at nine o'clock.

Bruce nodded as he took a deep breath.

"You're grounded," he declared. "No leaving this house except for school matters. That means, no soccer."

David's eyes widened.

"I have a game tomorrow!" he exclaimed.

"Too bad," Bruce said. "You should have thought of that before you decided to disobey me. Get upstairs."

David frowned and took a deep breath. He clenched his fists and glared at Bruce. He stared at him until he was about to pass him to go up the stairs, when Bruce suddenly caught him by the arm.

"What's that smell?"

Olivia walked over towards them to find out what it was that Bruce noticed.

"What smell?" David asked, defensively and equally nervous.

Bruce leaned forward and could smell it coming from his hair and clothes. Although it was subtle under the cigarette smoke, he recognized it instantly.

"I know that smell. Where the hell were you?"

Olivia walked over and could only smell the cigarette smoke.

"David Gerald Wayne, we're you smoking!?" Olivia suddenly exclaimed, stepping up to stand in front of David.

"No!" he exclaimed. "I wasn't. John, Jeffrey's brother does. His car smells like smoke. I swear, I didn't smoke anything!"

Bruce stared at David, skillfully searching his eyes for any sign of deception. Finally, he sighed and released his arm.

"Get upstairs," Bruce said, with a twitch from his head.

Bruce sighed, hearing the rebellious stomping as his son made his way up the stairs. He felt a hand rest on his back. He instantly recognized the touch.

"I hate this part of parenting," he said, wrapping an arm around Olivia's back.

"And you're getting to be quite good at it," she said. "He respects you even if he says that he hates you."

Bruce leaned into Olivia and kissed her forehead and sighed. He didn't want to worry her knowing that he had recognized the smell of the hallucinogenic drugs. He knew that Crane had been selling the drugs on the street before he was incarcerated but Bruce hadn't come across it in years. He had to get out into Gotham to find out where they were coming from.

"I need to get downstairs," he said, regretfully. "I want to go over some equipment before I go out tonight."

Olivia nodded, reaching up to kiss his mouth. After a moment, she let go.

"Be careful," she told him, to which he nodded and turned and left to go to the cave.

----------------

Saturday August 31st

Gotham Golf And Country Club

7:23pm

Bright flashes erupted from all sides. In the past three plus years of being in the social spotlight, Olivia had gotten used to the camera carrying reporters that seemed to trail them at nearly every event they attend. She would humour them and answer a few questions and pose for a few pictures with Bruce. What she hadn't gotten use to was the phony smiles and fake laughs that she would see and hear at these events. For once, she wished that these people would act normal. In the very least, it would make these sort of functions a lot more humourous and enjoyable.

Bruce walked casually with his hand on the small of Olivia's back as he led her through the clubhouse of the Gotham Golf and Country Club. He would smile and possibly stop to shake someone's hand as they circled the room. After making one round, Olivia sighed.

"What time is it?"

Bruce chuckled and glanced at his watch.

"7:23," he replied. He smiled, hearing her groan. Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulders and rubbed them in a soothing manner. "We can't leave until they give the total of the charity event, and as it looks now, that may not be for another hour or two."

Bruce glanced over at Mayor Garcia as he hobnobbed with some rich aristocrat. Gordon stood against the back wall with his wife beside him. After making eye contact, Bruce saw the Commissioner give a subtle nod of the head to acknowledge him.

"Why don't you go talk to him? I'm certain that you could come up with a better conversation with the Commissioner than anyone else here," Olivia said softly into his ear.

"It wouldn't be a good idea," Bruce said. "If anyone would suspect that he knew anything it would put him and his entire family in danger, and that's something I don't want to do."

Olivia shrugged.

"To anyone else, it would just appear that the richest man in Gotham is shooting the breeze with the Commissioner," she suggested.

Bruce glanced over at her, surprised. "Shooting the breeze?"

She smiled. "It's one of my Dad's terms."

"I'll try to remember that one," Bruce said, looking back over at Gordon. "I'm sure that would give more than one person here a raised eye brow."

Olivia chuckled as her and Bruce walked over to Gordon.

-------

Pamela looked around the full clubhouse. With a good looking man on either arm, she felt extremely confident. She wasn't sure if it was the blue poppy pheromone that she had sprayed on her prior to coming or her attire. She certainly caught the attention of the valet and the many photographers on her way in.

She looked around and walked to the first person she saw who she presumed to be hired by the golf club.

"Hi," she said, smiling.

The man's frowning face turned upward into a smug smile.

"Hi there," he said.

"I'm looking for someone. Bruce Wayne."

The man once again frowned. He rolled his eyes as he sighed.

"Why am I not surprised!? Every woman in Gotham swoons over that guy," the man said. "Here I thought that it would end with him getting married, but no! What does he have that I don't? Hm? What do I have to say to convince you that he's not worth it?"

Dr. Isley was pleasantly surprised at the subtle effect that the pheromone had on the man. It obviously was working and she only had only used a small amount.

"Um, Bruce Wayne?"

The man sighed and pointed across the room to where the billionaire was busy talking with the police commissioner.

Slowly, she walked across the room, gaining the attention of every man as she passed by. Like the red sea, the crowd slowly parted allowing her to pass until she stood directly behind Bruce. Gently, she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mr. Wayne?"

Bruce turned.

"Yes?"

Bruce smelled something nearly intoxicating. He wasn't sure what it was but it sure smelled good.

"I'm Dr. Pamela Isley," she said. "Do you remember me?"

Bruce smiled one of his playboy smiles, one that Olivia hadn't seen except for when they were intimate.

"With a smile like that, how could I? What can I do for such a beautiful woman such as yourself?"

Isley smiled, content with herself.

"Funding," she stated, frankly. "I'm no longer a part of the Botanical Relief which you so graciously donated to, and I need some resources to continue my research. I figured that a man of your impeccable taste, respect for nature and knowledge would be able to assist me."

Bruce shrugged as he placed an arm around her shoulders.

"I can't see why not," he said, his speech slightly slurring. "Come by my office this week and we'll set something up."

Olivia couldn't believe it. She was certain that she was staring with a dumbfounded look on her face as his actions were slowly catching the attention of everyone in the room. In fact, it seemed that the only ones that seemed to notice something was amiss were the women. She couldn't take it anymore. Not wanting to have his face embarrassingly spread on the front page of the lifestyle section of the newspaper with some half-truth headline, she took Bruce by the arm.

Olivia smiled with a mock apology as she pulled him away. She looked up at him when she was certain that they were out of earshot.

"Bruce Wayne, what the hell has gotten into you?"

He shrugged.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "I was just being polite."

Olivia was ready to scream.

"Polite, my ass! You were practically drooling over that...that..."

"Doctor?"

"That was not a doctor!"

"She certainly was and she can be mine, any day."

Olivia was ready to slap Bruce across the face but thought twice about it. There had to be a reason why he was acting like a jerk. She put her hand to his forehead.

"How much have you had to drink tonight?"

Bruce thought of their evening. "Just one glass of wine when we arrived."

"Must have been a good year," she commented sarcastically, as she glanced back at Dr. Isley as she glared daggers at Olivia but turned her attention elsewhere when she noticed Olivia's eyes on her. She watched as the woman walked up to the Mayor.

Olivia turned back to Bruce.

"Let's get you out of here," she said. "I think there is just a little too much testosterone pumping in this room.

-------------

10:18pm

Olivia drove the Lamborghini back to Wayne manor. It had been a while since she drove a car barefooted, but after tonight's spectacle, she certainly wasn't ready to let Bruce behind the wheel. She would glance over at him every so often and noticed the obvious distraught on his face.

"Olivia, I'm so sorry."

She smiled. "I know. You said that a few times already."

"I feel horrible for how I acted," he said.

"I'll take it that it was the alcohol talking," she said. "I did recognize that woman though."

Bruce nodded.

"Dr. Isley was one of the missing scientists from the Botanical Relief incident," Bruce said.

"Why would she show up in Gotham? Looking for work maybe?"

Bruce shrugged.

They continued the ride home and Alfred met them at the door.

"I'm going to go check on David and then I'm calling it a night," Olivia said, slipping out of her heels once again.

"Good night Alfred," she said.

"Good night madam," he said, taking her coat and hung it over his arm.

Olivia turned to Bruce and ran her hand through his hair.

"Don't stay out too late tonight," she warned, before she kissed him on the cheek.

Bruce grinned as she left to go upstairs. He turned to walk towards his study with Alfred walking behind him.

"Would you like me to prepare anything for you for when you return, sir?"

Bruce shook his head. "I shouldn't be out too long."

"BRUCE!!"

Upon hearing her frantic voice, Bruce pushed past Alfred and ran towards the stairs. He nearly slid past the staircase in his haste to reach them. When he got to the top, he met Olivia and took her by the arms.

"What's wrong?!"

"It's David," she managed to blurt out, out of breath. "He's not here."

"What?"

Bruce let her go and ran towards his room, pushing the door wide open to discover what his wife said was true. A moment later, Olivia was behind him along with Alfred. Bruce walked into his room, surveying for any evidence that he was taken.

"Did you hear anything?"

Alfred was just as shocked.

"No sir. The last time I saw Master David was around nine thirty. He said he was going up to bed to read," Alfred said, as Bruce picked up a book off the bedside table.

His room appeared untouched. As he walked around the bed, Bruce could feel a draft. Pulling back the curtains, he saw that the window was wide open. Bruce pushed the curtains aside as Olivia joined him at the window. He looked down, seeing the ground below in the darkened night.

"Could he have made it down that far?"

Bruce shrugged.

"Three levels up? He could." He looked back out the window. It sat above an alcove. He looked along the roof at the easiest path to get down and smiled inwardly. "Yes, he definitely could."

"Where would he go?"

Bruce pulled his head back in the window.

"His cell phone," Bruce said, walking out of the room. "If he has it on him, I should be able to track him down."

"And when you find him, what are you going to do? You can't openly talk to him as Batman."

"Who said anything about talking? I'm going to scare the crap out of him."

------------


	4. Chapter 4

8:29pm

Pamela Isley pushed the door open to the small apartment and sighed.

"Mommy is home," she announced as she walked into the room. She closed the door behind her as she took off her earrings and rings and placed them on the counter. She walked over to a planter by the window and poured the remains of the water from a pitcher onto it.

"You're back early," a voice called from behind her.

Dr. Isley spun around to see Ducard sitting casually on the edge of a small couch.

She smiled. "I did what I set out to do," she told him. "There was no point in sticking around and mingling with the stuffy, arrogant rich folk."

"You saw Bruce Wayne?"

"I talked with the man. He seemed very interested in what I had to say. The compound worked wonderfully."

"Good."

Pamela sighed.

"At least until that woman of his took his focus off of me," she said, bitterly. "She obviously has a high influence over him."

Isley leaned over and lovingly touched the petals of the blue flower.

"Perhaps I'd need a higher concentration of the pheromone to help influence him more," she thought aloud as she stood back up. "Then, any distractions would be far more difficult for him to pay attention to."

A smile tugged at Ducard's lips.

"That's just what he needs."

--------------

10:52pm

The night would have been darker if it hadn't been for the streetlights that lined the city streets. The Narrows always seemed to be darker despite them. Rarely did people go out after dark. The only ones out were the people looking for trouble.

The three boys raced across the street and towards an alley. David could barely see his watch and quickly checked it as they ran beneath a street light before disappearing into the alley. He sighed, knowing that his parents were more than likely home from the charity event. He only prayed that neither they or Alfred would check for him in his room and that he could get back before anyone noticed he was gone. They slowed to a stop and caught their breath.

"This is awesome," John exclaimed, once they were in the alleyway. He looked over towards David as they stood in nearly complete darkness. "I don't know what you said but that guy gave us a great deal. Do you know him or something?"

David shrugged. "Somewhat."

"He was talking to you for quite a while," John commented. "What were you two chatting about?"

"Stuff."

David forced a smile as John checked out the small bag of the strange organic compound that Ducard had given him with the warning to not take too much at one time. David looked over at Jeffrey as he glanced out into the street.

"Do you guys know where we are?"

John nodded and pointed down the alley. "The car is this way."

David shook his head. "I'm thinking that it's the other way."

Jeffrey rolled his eyes.

"We're lost," he declared.

"We parked along the river," David reminded them. "It wont be hard to find but I really think we should start to head home."

"Nah," John said, pulling out his lighter and a small pack of cigarettes. "It's still early."

Suddenly they heard a light ringing coming from David's pocket. He glanced down at his jeans, forgetting that he had brought his cell phone with him. He slowly pulled it out and checked who was calling.

"It's my parents," he said, his voice slightly concerned.

"Don't answer it!" Jeffrey told him.

"Hang up! Turn off the ringer!" John added, as he stuck a cigarette in his mouth and began to light it.

David quickly opened the phone and then shut it, instantly disconnecting the call before tucking it back into his pocket.

-------------

That's all he needed. Batman glanced down at the small green dot on the console next to him as he shifted the Tumbler into the next gear and sped off down the road.

-----------

"Whatcha boys got there?"

They all turned towards the entrance to the alley as a group of four large men came sauntering towards them. John quickly stood up, as David and Jeffrey went to his side.

"This is ours," John quickly called out. "Go get your own."

One of the men laughed mockingly.

"You see, you're on our turf, so technically it belongs to us," the man said. "Hand it over."

"He's got a knife," Jeffrey whispered to David to beside him. He looked and sure enough he could see a faint light reflect off of the blade.

The boys slowly backed up away from the men and moved further into the alleyway. It was getting darker the further they moved in from the street. The sudden sound of a tin can being knocked from behind them caused the boys to gasp and glance behind them.

The man laughed loudly.

"This isn't a place for babies," he said. "Give us the drugs and we'll let you go home to your Mommy's and Daddy's in one piece."

Jeffrey nudged John, urging him to give the brute the bag, but John relented and tucked it into his jacket.

"John," Jeffrey stuttered, "give it to them."

Finally, John tossed the bag at the largest man.

"Okay, you got it. Now let us go," John called out.

The men chuckled as they continued to approach the boys, fanning out to surround them. The streetlight suddenly went out as they heard the sound of the broken glass hitting the curb as the alley was thrown into complete darkness. The large men tentatively looked over their shoulders and as they were distracted, John pulled Jeffrey by the collar and they all ran around the men and out towards the street. They could hear the footsteps of the large men as they chased after them but shortly after the boys reached the curb of the street, the men were gone. They paused once they reached the other side of the street and behind a parked car.

"What the hell was that?" Jeffrey exclaimed softly, as they all tried to catch their breath. "It's like they just disappeared."

David didn't even want to look to see since he had a feeling who was back there. If it was, he hoped that Batman didn't see hi.

"Let's get out of here," John added, as they slowly crept out of their hiding spot in the shadow of the car.

They all glanced towards the dark alleyway before they began to run down the street and cut through a narrow street to make their way to the river.

They suddenly slowed to a walking pace when they saw a group of a dozen men standing around a flickering street light. Jeffrey grabbed hold of John's sleeve.

"I don't want to go that way," he said, glancing at the men, who were noticing the three boys across the street. A few of them began to walk towards them. "Do something, John."

"Hi boys," one of them said. "You look a little lost. Actually, you don't appear to be from around here."

Suddenly, David was pulled back from the group and he felt the edge of a warm blade against his neck and his mouth was covered with a foul smelling hand. Both John and Jeffrey turned, their eyes panicked.

"Wallets," the man barked, to which John quickly passed him his wallet. Without another word, John and Jeffrey quickly took off running. A few of the men turned, about to take off after them.

"Don't worry about them," the man stated. He looked down at David, who was trying to move his neck further away from the knife at his neck. "We have everything we need, right here."

The man half pulled, half carried David back across the street and removed his hand from his mouth.

"Let me go!!" David cried out as loud as he could, hoping that anyone would hear him.

The man's face was instantly within inches of his own and David grimaced, seeing the man's yellowing teeth from years of bad dental hygiene. He pushed the knife tighter against David's neck.

"Yell like that again and I'll make sure that you never speak again, got it?"

David merely nodded as tears came to his eyes from the pain to his neck. He struggled to swallow as the pressure on his neck was becoming increasingly hard.

Before David knew it, someone had took his wallet from his pocket and was flipping through it.

"The kid has nothing on him except for ten dollars and a crappy student card," another man complained. "He doesn't even have a credit card on him."

"Parents don't trust you enough, huh kid?"

The man holding the wallet suddenly smiled as he held up the student card to the man holding the knife to David's neck.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! We've got the lottery ticket here, guys! This here is rich man Wayne's kid! David Wayne."

Another man with a long beard quickly grabbed the student card to verify what the guy with the wallet had said. He looked from the picture and up to the kid that had a knife to his neck. He shrugged.

"Could be him," the man said. "But he could just have the same last name."

The guy with the wallet grabbed the card back.

"What planet have you been living on?! This is the same kid that you see in the tabloids!"

"I don't read it, man. I just burn the stuff."

Suddenly, in the middle of the group, a dark shadow fell from the sky, and dropped onto two of the men, instantly rendering them unconscious. The others quickly rushed around the area. Some ran to hide while others backed up to watch, not willing to fight but were eager to see the legendary Dark Knight whom they had heard about. Yet there were a few who quickly brandished a chain, a metal rod or a knife; whatever they could get their hands on.

Batman turned and ducked, taking a hit and then quickly delivering a blow to the untrained street folk.

The man holding onto David, secured the knife under the kid's chin and pulled him backwards, away from the commotion. David's eyes pleaded as he watched his father take out one man after another, yet they seemed to keep coming at him. David would not know it, but Batman would glance in his direction every few seconds while continuing to deliver blow after blow to the men around him. After the last one was down, he quickly turned, seeing the fear in David's eyes and the blood on his neck.

"Let him go," Batman growled angrily, as the man pushed the knife harder under David's chin. David winced and yelped. Batman visibly clenched his fists tighter.

"Back up or I'll kill him," the man replied harshly.

Batman didn't move but instead watched the man's every step.

"I said, back up!"

Finally, Batman took a step backwards as a smile came to the large man's face. It didn't last long. David used as much of his strength as he could and elbowed the man in the stomach before stomping on his foot. The man released his grip on David and Batman used the opportunity to attack the man. The man looked up just as Batman's fist connected with his jaw, sending the man falling backward.

David stood back, somewhat in shock at seeing blood on his hands after he touched the sore spot beneath his jaw. Before he had a chance to react, a hand had pressed a cloth against his neck and his feet were no longer touching the ground.

When his feet came to rest once again on solid ground, David looked up, instantly recognizing the dark vehicle in front of him. He held onto the cloth against his neck as he watched as Batman climbed into the Tumbler silently and he followed suit and proceeded to pull on the seat harness with his free hand. Once the roof had closed them in, Batman turned to the boy next to him and gently pulled his hand away from the cut below his jaw. Batman tipped David's head back to get a better look at it before pushing the cloth back up to it and turning on the ignition to the Tumbler.

The fact that his father wasn't visibly upset, made David concerned. He knew that like him, his Dad could have a temper and it was never a good sign when he was keeping it in.

Trying to lighten the situation, David risked a smile.

"Thanks," he said, softly. He still had no response from Batman. He kept his eyes on the road in front of him as the Tumbler sped off down the road.

---------

Bat cave

11:22pm

Olivia wasn't sure how long she had been down there, but she was determined to be in the cave when Bruce came home today. She paced back in forth, her house coat swaying behind her as it had long ago came undone. Olivia was thankful that she decided to wear her long pajama pants and t-shirt tonight. It was a cold night in the cave.

She looked towards the waterfall as the water picked up the reflection of approaching headlights. Seconds later, the roar of the Tumbler filled the cave as dozens of bats flew around the ceiling in fear.

Her anxiety turned to relief and quickly changed into anger and disappointment upon seeing the sandy blond mop of hair sitting in the passenger seat of the Tumbler. Batman quickly jumped out of the front seat leaving David as he awkwardly stood up and slowly climbed out of the deep chair and onto the rocky ground. When he saw his mother standing by the computer, her arms crossed in front of her, he didn't want to leave the safe confines of the Tumbler. Her arms fell seeing his hand holding a cloth to his neck.

"What happened?!" she exclaimed, looking from David to Batman as he pulled the cowl off of his head, revealing his sweat matted hair.

"A small cut," Bruce replied. "I'm going to let Alfred know that he may need a stitch or two there."

Bruce had disappeared elsewhere to change as Olivia approached David.

"Let me see that," Olivia said, pulling the cloth away from David's neck and winced. "Are you okay?"

He blinked, surprised that she wasn't yelling or showing any bit of anger.

"Yeah, I'm all right."

She nodded, as the anger returned to her eyes.

"Get upstairs now," she snapped. "Go wait for us in the study."

Nodding curtly, David hurried towards the lift. Olivia sighed, as she heard the mechanisms echo to where she stood, telling her that David had indeed listened and was back on his way up to Wayne Manor.

She turned, and walked towards where Bruce had disappeared. She saw him as he took off the remaining pieces of his armour and set them in its appropriate spot. Olivia leaned against the door frame, her arms still crossed.

"I sent him upstairs to wait in the study," she said softly, as Bruce glanced over his shoulder, suddenly noticing her presence. "It'll give you some time to simmer down before we talk to him."

He scoffed slightly as he reached for a black t-shirt that rested on the table beside him. Olivia could see the new bruises that he had received begin to form on his back. She walked up to him.

"What makes you think I'm angry?"

"It might surprise you but I know when you're holding back your emotions and covering them up," she replied, gently touching his back. "How about you? Are you all right?"

"Nothing that time wont take care of," he said, pulling the t-shirt over his head.

He turned and sighed.

"What are we doing wrong? He's eleven years old, Olivia. I went through a rebellious streak shortly after my parents death, but I never once snuck out of the house at night," Bruce said.

Olivia leaned into him and wrapped her arms around him.

"He was in the Narrows, Olivia," Bruce added. "If I hadn't found him when I did..." He paused, letting out a shaky sigh before continuing. "...he might have not made it home alive. What's wrong with that kid?"

"I don't know, Bruce," Olivia answered. "This certainly isn't like him and that's what concerns me."

She let go of him and looked up into Bruce's eyes.

"Are you ready to go up?"

Bruce nodded.

-----------------

David wasn't surprised to see Alfred waiting beside the piano as he walked through the hidden passage.

"Good to see that you've returned relatively unscathed," he said as he looked at David and his eyes fell on the partially bloody cloth against the boy's neck. "Come sit over here and I'll take care of that."

David sat down on the chesterfield sofa. Alfred placed the tray of instruments on Bruce's desk and dabbed a piece of gauze with peroxide. He sat down beside David.

"This might sting a little but this is nothing considered what you're about to endure from your parents," Alfred said, as a forewarning. David pinched his eyes shut, feeling the burn of the cleaning solution on the cut. "Lucky for you, I've had a lot of practice with suturing up your father. But it looks as though you wont be needing any stitches on this. Facial wounds always appear to be worse than they actually are. You'll just end up with a small scar under your jaw."

David nodded as he watched Alfred pull out a few butterfly bandages.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, as the older man looked over at him. "I'm sorry for leaving without telling you."

Alfred sighed and smiled slightly.

"I'm glad to know that you're all right," he said just as Olivia and Bruce emerged from behind the hidden passage in the bookshelf.

David sat, looking at the carpet beneath his feet as Alfred told Bruce and Olivia what he had done to take care of David's cut. Once he had left, the room was so quiet that he could hear the sound of the ticking from the grandfather clock across the room.

"Do you realize how stupid it was to go out at night, alone?!" Olivia suddenly exclaimed. "What were you doing out in the Narrows anyways?"

David shrugged.

"Jeffrey called asking if I wanted to to with him and his brother for a ride," David said softly. He deliberately avoided eye contact with his father, as he knew that he could easily detect if he was telling the truth or not. "I couldn't find Alfred to tell him, so I left, hoping to return before I had to explain where I was. We ended up getting lost and found ourselves in the Narrows."

"You know this city, David," Bruce suddenly interrupted. "I've told you countless times about how dangerous the Narrows can be, yet you still went there!! That man would have killed you if he had the chance!"

"Don't treat me like a baby!" David suddenly exclaimed. "If you trained me then I wouldn't need to worry about going out in in this city."

"You're eleven years old!" Bruce countered, with anger equal to David's. "You're obviously not old enough to take on the responsibility. If you can't even follow the rules of the house, there is no way that I'm going to teach you anything anytime soon."

Not able to take it anymore, David suddenly stood up and walked towards the door.

"Don't you dare walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" Bruce snapped.

David stopped a few feet from the door and turned.

"This is not fair!" David exclaimed.

"Newsflash, sometimes life isn't fair," Bruce retorted. "But you still need to abide by my rules."

"David, You're grounded," Olivia interrupted before Bruce could speak further.

"I thought I already was."

"Don't you even think about smart mouthing me, young man. You're grounded for the next two weeks. No soccer, no extracurricular activities; you go to school and you come home. Do you understand me?"

Without saying another word in fear that his punishment may be extended for a longer period in time, he nodded. Finally, when he realized that neither his Mom or Dad were going to say anything more, he turned and left the room.

Bruce let out a loud sigh and ran his hand through his hair before turning to Olivia.

"Thanks for jumping in there when you did," he said. She cracked a weak smile.

"I could tell you were near your melting point."

Bruce smiled, looking over at the grandfather clock to check the time.

"I'm going to go put in a few more hours in Gotham," he told her, just as she sighed.

"Again?"

He pulled her towards him for a hug and kissed her forehead. "I'll promise that I'll make it up to you again. I'll be back as soon as I can and I'll try to not wake you."

Olivia sighed, disappointed to have to go to bed alone once again, yet she still nodded, knowing that he had made up his mind.

----

Bruce walked alone through the damp, cool cave and found himself in front of the Tumbler. He pressed a command on the hood of the car as the roof opened up and slid back. Carefully, he stood on the edge of the car and reached beneath the drivers seat and pulled out the bag holding the drugs that he had managed to take from one of the men that had chased after David, John and Jeffrey. He brought it over to the table and set it down before slowly opening it. As soon as the bag was open, he recognized the subtle smell of the hallucinogenic compound and closed it back up again. He sighed, and clenched his teeth knowing that most likely the League of Shadows had returned to Gotham.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- This one is about half as long in length as I usually do, but I wanted to get this out before the weekend. As it looks, the next part wont be up until monday....but it could be sooner if I get enough poking and prodding from the review button. :)

Wednesday, September 4th

9:04am

The first thing she noticed was the sound of the birds chirping. The window was open and a soft, warm breeze blew into the bedroom. Olivia's eyes fluttered open when she realized that it was quite bright in the room and that the sun had already risen. She could see the curtains slowly moving with the wind. It was hypnotizing and she felt herself slowly drift back asleep. As quickly as her eyes shut, she opened them again. She sat up slightly and gazed over at the digital clock sitting on the side table next to her side of the bed. As soon as the time registered in her mind, she quickly sat up and threw the blankets off of her before running into the bathroom to get dressed.

------------

Alfred was ready and waiting in the kitchen. The coffee was hot and breakfast was sitting on the counter. He turned the television up and idly watched as he glanced down at the newspaper in front of him. He suddenly glanced up and saw Olivia standing at the door, in the midst of pulling on her shoes.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I'm sorry madam, but Master Bruce requested that I let you sleep in," Alfred said, grabbing the coffee pot to pour it for Olivia. "You've been awfully tired lately with waking early and then staying up late, waiting for Master Bruce to return home. I took the liberty to call the bakery to let them know that you'd be coming in late, and Master Bruce has taken David to school on his way to work."

Olivia sighed and smiled. She was thankful for the extra sleep, but wished that she hadn't.

"Thank you, Alfred," she said reaching for the cup of coffee. "This all looks great, but with the rush of getting ready to go, I don't think I could eat any of that. I really need to get to work. There's an order of nearly two hundred cupcakes as well as a three tired cake for the Blandard bridal shower this weekend and I need to get a jump start on all those gum paste flowers."

"Is that this weekend already?"

Olivia nodded.

"Let me drive you then," Alfred suggested, walking towards the cupboard full of keys. "It'll allow your mind time to think clearly before you start to work."

She shook her head as she began to dig through her purse.

"No, don't worry about it. I can manage." She paused and sighed. "Now, where are my keys?"

The phone suddenly rang and Alfred walked over to where it sat to answer.

"Hello?"

Alfred paused, listening to the caller as he looked over at Olivia as she was shaking her jacket, hearing the sound of her keys in the pocket.

"Yes, she's right here. Hold on one moment," Alfred said into the telephone before he held the receiver with his hand. Olivia looked up and took the phone from him, still busy reaching into her coat pockets. She reached over to the phone and pressed the speaker phone button.

"Hello?"

_"Hi Olivia, this is Dr. Montgomery._"

Olivia set her coat on the table and pulled her hand from the pocket.

"Oh yes, how are you?"

_"I'm doing well,_" he said, his voice filling the large kitchen. _"I wanted to talk to you about your blood work. I have some bad news."_

Alfred looked up from where he stood by the sink. Olivia glanced at him, not liking where the doctor was telling her.

"Bad news?"

_"Yes, unfortunately, you wont be needing my assistance after all."_

Olivia was confused. She could hear a hint of joy in the doctor's tone, yet she still couldn't get what he was trying to say or why he was finding this conversation to be pleasant.

"I don't understand. You had told me that we were good candidates for the procedure," she said, becoming agitated with the doctor.

"_You were, but your blood work came back with a higher than normal HCG. In fact the level was nearly 15,000. HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone found during pregnancy."_

"Human..what?"

While she spoke, Alfred walked over to her and stood behind her, anticipating her reaction. A smile had grown on his face, yet Olivia hadn't noticed.

She could hear the doctor chuckle.

"_You're pregnant, Mrs. Wayne._"

Alfred watched in amusement as Olivia's face became pale and he quickly walked over to stand beside her in fear that she might faint. It took her a moment to find the words she wanted to ask.

"What? How? I mean, I was told my chances of ever becoming pregnant on my own were so slim."

"_You beat the odds,_" he said. "_And by the levels in your blood, and the information that you gave me at our first meeting, you could be nearly 16 weeks along."_

Olivia's hand went straight for her stomach. She was certain that the weight gain was because of stress with work and eating the extra sweets she'd eat during the day. She couldn't even remember feeling sick more than once in the past few months.

"Are you serious? I mean, I haven't had any real symptoms that would've given me any clue to being pregnant," she said. "With my son, I felt horrible until the day I delivered."

"_From my experience, every pregnancy is different and so far, this one for you will be quite different than the last time you were pregnant. I'm going to schedule an appointment for you with an OB and get you an ultrasound appointment to better pinpoint your exact due date. I'll call you back sometime later next week, if that's okay._"

"Yeah, that would be great," she said, a smile finally coming to her face as the shock was wearing off. Moments later, she hung up with the doctor and let out a sigh before looking at Alfred, who was beaming.

"Congratulations Olivia," he said as Olivia pulled him into a tight hug.

"I'm pregnant," she said, allowing the words to sink in. "I'm pregnant." She looked up at Alfred. The smile on the man's face hadn't disappeared.

"Yes, you are."

Olivia let out a laugh of excitement.

"I need to tell, Bruce!" she exclaimed, as Alfred laughed watching her grab her purse and run out of the kitchen.

"Would you like me to drive you to Wayne Enterprises? I'm not certain that you should be driving in your condition."

Olivia chuckled.

"Being pregnant is not going to stop me from driving to work," she said.

"I was referring to your lack of concentration with your new-found news," he said, as she smiled nodding her head.

"Maybe you should then."

Alfred clapped his hand and turned to grab the keys to the Rolls Royce.

-------------

Wayne Enterprises

9:10am

It was bigger than she remembered.

Dr. Isley walked off the elevator. It didn't take more than a few seconds for her to gain the attention of the men on the floor. They stopped what they were doing and gazed at her as she walked down the hallway. She wasn't dressed any different than the other women in the office. Her white blouse and black skirt were similar to what the other women were wearing. Her auburn hair was pinned loosely on her head and the pheromones that seemed to radiate from her drew the eyes of every man that she passed.

Bruce stood outside his office, picking up his many messages from his assistant, Jen. He had arrived just a few minutes prior and was looking forward to a relaxing morning in his office. Although it would be a busy day, he was eager to have a change of scenery.

He turned, when he smelled something coming down the hall. There it was again. That intoxicating aroma that left you wanting more. Coming down the hallway was Dr. Pamela Isley. She stopped in front of Bruce.

"Good morning, Mr. Wayne," she said. Bruce felt his mouth go dry. "I was wondering if you could fit me into your schedule today for that meeting you promised me on the weekend."

"Mr. Wayne is quite busy this morning," Jen stated from her desk. Bruce looked over at her and shook his head.

"I'm certain that I can fit you in right now," Bruce suggested as he reached for his door. He held it open allowing Pamela to walk in. Bruce looked back at his assistant, telling her that he didn't want to be disturbed. He closed the door and turned to Pamela.

"Now, what can I do for you?"

"I'm in need of some funding," she said, as Bruce walked towards her. He nodded.

"That's right," he said. "I remember you saying something along that line. How much were you thinking about?"

"Five million," she said, waiting for his response. He whistled and smiled.

"Sounds good."

A smile worked to her lips as she watched him walk over to his desk and pull out a drawer to search for a cheque book. As he wrote out the cheque, he could feel her leaning into him. The closer she was, it seemed harder to concentrate.

"Let's double that," she said softly into his ear. Bruce felt his skin tingle along his neck and down his back. He closed his eyes and shuttered, knowing full well that he shouldn't be feeling this way. He tried to think of Olivia but with Pamela standing so close to him with that lovely smelling perfume, he couldn't help but think of anyone but Pamela. He then felt her hands rest on his arm as he wrote out the cheque.

"Hmm. Someone has been working out," she commented, catching Bruce's eye as he signed his name at the bottom. He robotically handed her the small piece of paper, to which she folded and tucked inside her bra.

To Bruce, it was quickly getting warm in the office. He awkwardly pulled at his collar, feeling as though he was sixteen years old again.

Pamela grinned, noticing the inner turmoil and physical reactions to her pheromone which he was slowly defeating him.

"Feeling a little warm, Mr. Wayne?" Pamela asked as she gently tugged at his tie, pulling herself closer to him. "We can take care of that."

Bruce was mere inches from Pamela. His eyes went from her face to her lips. It was all so tempting and was so very hard to resist. He wanted to be able to touch her hair and feel her lips on his.

"It's all right, Bruce," she whispered.

--------------

Olivia couldn't stand still as she stood in the elevator waiting impatiently as it slowly rose higher and higher in the building. During her ride into the city, she bounced ideas off of Alfred on how to tell Bruce. She was so excited that she was certain that she would just end up blurting it out the moment she saw him. This was something that they had been trying for for nearly 3 years and now, without her even knowing, she was almost four months along. Since her accident, her cycles were so mixed up that she could no longer keep track of what was going on with her body. She was pleasantly surprised.

Finally, the elevator door opened and she was instantly greeted by a handful of office personnel as they walked past her. She said her 'hello's' as she walked purposefully down the hall towards Bruce's office.

"You look wonderful today, Mrs. Wayne," Lucius commented as he exited his office, a small stack of papers in his hand. "How are things?"

Olivia couldn't help but smile. She eagerly wanted to tell her news, but decided against it since she wanted to tell Bruce first.

"Very good," she said. "You really need to come visit the bakery sometime again."

"I will," he said. "Perhaps later this week."

Olivia smiled, and kept walking until she reached Bruce's door. She was about to turn the knob when Jen, the assistant quickly stood up.

"Uh, he's in a meeting right now and asked not to be disturbed," she said.

Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Jen, I don't think he'd mind if I just popped in for a moment," she said. "I have a few things to tell him."

Without another second wasted, Olivia opened the door and her smile instantly faded from her face when she saw the scene in front of her.

Bruce.

His dress shirt completely unbuttoned and partly off his shoulders.

Another woman.

Kissing.

-------------

I know...ack! I'm killing myself here too cause I want to go further but I want to be certain about Olivia's reaction and Bruce's to being caught. Oh, and before anyone says anything...no, Isley's lips are not poisonous...at least not yet..:) So, no, Bruce isn't going to die.......at least not from Isley, but I think if I were Olivia, I'd be considering murdering him.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N - Here's a long chapter for you... I hope you enjoy...

--------

Olivia felt the wind rush out of her lungs. The whole scene didn't even seem real to her. She felt as though she was watching something on television; it couldn't possibly be real. Here she was witnessing something that she never thought she'd ever experience. She was speechless and suddenly felt sick to her stomach and she was pretty sure it wasn't morning sickness.

Her hand went to her mouth as she held onto the door to steady herself as she felt the room do a quick spin.

"Oh my God," she breathed. Her soft voice was loud enough to be heard by Bruce and he opened his eyes, and looked over at the door, seeing his distraught wife. Confusion marked his face as he looked at Pamela in front of him and then to Olivia by the door. He quickly looked down at himself, seeing his shirt was completely unbuttoned. When he looked back up, Olivia no longer there.

"Olivia?!" he called nervously, side stepping Pamela as he quickly made his way to the door. He had no idea what happened, but he knew he had to get to her. He suddenly felt a pair of hands wrap themselves under his shirt and onto his stomach. He flinched at the unfamiliar touch and turned.

"Let her go," Pamela whispered suggestively into his ear.

As much as he strangely wanted to stay with Pamela, his heart was aching realizing what Olivia had walked in on. He reluctantly reached down and took her hands off of him, surprised to see how hard it was for him to do so.

"Olivia is my wife. I love her," he told her sternly, more so to himself to remind him and hoped it would cause the sensations he was feeling for Pamela would subside.

Taking a deep breath, he walked around her and rushed towards the desk to grab his keys before making his way to the door. He glanced over at Pamela, knowing that he had to get away from her. Bruce walked to the door, seeing Olivia further down the hallway as Lucius approached her.

----------------

Olivia had to get out. She kept her eyes on the floor, not willing herself to make eye contact with anyone. She was so focused on getting as far away as possible that she didn't even realize it when Mr. Fox approached her.

"Oh, Mrs. Wayne," he began, as he walked with her. "I was hoping to catch you. My wife was wanting to know if you'd..." He trailed off when he saw her face. She no longer resembled the happy woman who walked past him a few minutes earlier. He placed a gentle hand on her arm to stop her. "Are you all right?"

It was then that Lucius saw Bruce approaching them from behind, doing up his dress shirt as he walked at a quick pace. Olivia let out a shaky sigh, fighting to keep her composure.

"I need to go," she replied, softly.

Before he had a chance to anything more, she walked away. Mr. Fox watched as she stepped into the elevator and repeatedly pressed the button to close the doors.

"Olivia! Wait!"

Lucius turned to see Bruce rushing towards the elevator just as the doors closed. He stopped and stared at the closed door for a moment before turning on his heel.

He glanced back to see standing just outside of his office, a look of innocent satisfaction on her face. Bruce was amazed at how clearly he could think now that he was no longer in his office alone with her. He was angry. He walked back to Lucius.

"Call security," he told him.

Lucius had grown to know his employer very well and could tell that just by his expression that Mr. Wayne wasn't happy, but he was surprised with this course of action.

"What for?"

"I want Dr. Isley escorted out of here," he replied, as he turned down another hallway to get the next nearest elevator.

--------------------

She didn't know why, but the ride down to the ground floor was quicker than it was on the way up. She reached for her sunglasses in her purse, put them on and managed to compose herself before taking a deep breath as the elevator doors opened on the main floor. She slowly pushed her way through the small crowd of people, anxious to get out. Olivia was grateful to see that Alfred hadn't left the front curb. The old man was reading a newspaper in the front seat and was quite surprised when the door suddenly open and slammed shut.

"Alfred, drive me home, please," she choked out as the man put down his newspaper and pulled away from the curb.

He didn't dare to ask since it wasn't his concern but knowing the state that his passenger was in, he was worried. He'd glance up in the rear view mirror and saw Olivia pull off her glasses to wipe the tears from her eyes. She sniffed a few times as she clenched her jaw. He could tell that she wasn't just sad, she was angry.

A minute into their trip back to Wayne Manor, Olivia's cell phone began to ring. When she didn't move to answer it, Alfred glanced up in the rear view mirror before turning his attention back to the road. He could only imainge what happened up in that tower.

"How did Master Bruce take the news of your pregnancy?"

Olivia looked out the window at the cars passing around them. "I didn't get a chance to tell him."

Alfred was about to speak again when the phone at the front of the car began to ring. He reached over to answer it.

"Sir?"

"Is Olivia with you?" Bruce asked, his voice filling the inside of the car.

Alfred glanced up at Olivia in the mirror, and caught her rolling her eyes.

"Yes, she's here with me."

"Pull over," he told him. "I'm about a minute behind you."

"Alfred, don't!" Olivia exclaimed.

"Olivia, I need to talk to you," he said.

Olivia kept her gaze on Alfred by way of the rear view mirror. "I don't want to talk to him right now."

Alfred nodded as he continued to drive.

"Alfred, pull over!"

Olivia reached over to the centre console and hung up the phone. Sighing, she sat back. A moment later, the phone rang again.

"Don't answer it," Olivia told Alfred. He nodded.

"You'll have to talk to him when we arrive home," Alfred reminded her.

"Rather there than on the side of the road."

Alfred sighed, afraid of the war that would ensue once they returned home.

He pulled the car up in front of Wayne Manor and Olivia climbed out of the car before Alfred had a chance to even open his door. She could hear the roar of the Jaguar racing up the drive, but never once did she look back. Alfred watched as Bruce made the car skid to a stop causing a plume of dust and stone to go flying. Bruce quickly pushed the car door open and raced towards the house which Olivia had just disappeared into. Alfred stepped back as Bruce ran into the house. He had never seen Bruce with such concern and worry on his face as he did now.

"Will you please stop, Olivia?!" he called out as he ran into the house.

Olivia was nearly up the stairs.

"You can't ignore me forever," he called up to her, his voice echoing throughout the entrance way. "We have to deal with this!"

She stopped on the steps and turned. Her face was red, cheeks wet from the tears. To anyone else, she would appear to be quite upset, but inside she was fuming and Bruce could see the fire burning in her eyes.

"What are you going to tell me, Bruce? Hm? That this is a need?! Another woman? You can't tell me that she's just a friend."

He stood at middle of the entryway with his hands at his sides. His shirt was still partially undone and his hair was in a disarray. He had no answer to give her that sounded like a good explanation. He was just as angry at himself.

"She just came in asking for funding. I don't even remember what happened...how it happened," he said, equally confused and upset.

"I do," she said, walking down to the first landing to face him. "I saw you and that woman! She was practically undressing you, Bruce! It makes me sick to think what would have happened if I didn't walk in when I did!"

"I would never cheat on you, Olivia!"

"Then what the hell was that?! In that case, I'd hate to know what you think cheating is!!"

"I have no idea how I got myself into that situation. I wasn't thinking."

"No, you weren't. Your brain was obviously below your belt!"

She turned to go up the stairs when Bruce reached forward, grabbing her arm.

"Olivia, please," he said softly. "I'm sorry."

She sighed as the tears came back to her eyes. He looked sincere and his eyes were pleading. She shook her head.

"Bruce, two words isn't going to make this go away. You lost my trust and you hurt me. You promised to never do that."

She looked past him to where Alfred stood by the door, trying not to listen to the conversation but with the yelling, it would be hard not to. The couple had their occasional disputes, but nothing compared to what he was hearing.

"Alfred, I'm going to lay down," she told him. "If anyone calls for me, let me know."

He nodded before she turned to go up the stairs. Bruce still hadn't let go of her arm.

"Let me go," she said, deeply. "Please."

After a few seconds, he reluctantly released her hand and watched her walk up the stairs. Bruce stood, dumbfounded as Alfred walked up beside him.

"I don't want to hear it from you too, Alfred," he said, turning to walk towards his study.

"It's not my place to, sir," he stated, following Bruce. "But I must say that I've never seen your wife more distraught than I did when she came running out of Wayne Tower."

Bruce stopped before opening the door and took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that was inside him. Suddenly, he reached back and punched the wall, leaving a very noticeable dent and cracks in the drywall.

"What is wrong with me? I have no idea what happened, Alfred. One moment, Dr. Isley was talking about a grant and the next thing I realize, I'm kissing her and my shirt is undone and Olivia is standing at the door," he said, walking into the study. "I can't believe that I was that stupid. The thought of cheating on Olivia has never crossed my mind so why would I do something like this!?"

"We're all human, sir. We all make mistakes."

"This was something entirely different though. This is effecting my marriage," Bruce said, pressing the appropriate chords on the piano, opening the hidden passage in the bookshelf. He sighed and turned to Alfred. "I need to be alone for a while, to work things out."

Alfred nodded.

"Very well."

He watched as Bruce disappeared behind the shelf and sighed once he disappeared. Bruce wasn't the only one confused. Alfred couldn't believe it himself.

'What is going on in this house?' he thought as he left the room.

----------

Friday, September 6th

2:35am

Batman stood on top of one of the taller skyscrapers in the city. High above Gotham City, it was quiet. The occasional siren would echo up towards him as the wind brushed past him, pulling at his cape. He enjoyed the tranquility and the beauty that the city could be when he was looking down at it. Inside, he was still angry with himself. He had trained himself to be able to keep his night life and home life separate, but it was too much. The poor mugger that he caught earlier on in the evening would most likely have a broken wrist. He still couldn't believe what he had done to Olivia. Her face when he finally approached her at home would never leave his mind. He could see her disappointment, anger and sadness all rolled into one.

A beep on his waist caught his attention. He looked down, pulling the small cellphone-like device up to see who was contacting him. Gordon. Batman stood up, spread his arms and jumped off the building, the cape instantly turning rigid as he glided across the skyline.

---------

Gordon stood on top of the MCU, in the dark, staring up at the night sky. He waited. He knew that Batman had got his message so now he waited. Even after three years of knowing who Batman truly was, he could still not get over the fact that the richest man in Gotham, and the country was risking his life every night. He would think back to when he first met Bruce as a boy in the police station the night that his parents were murdered. He would never have guessed that that same boy would be jumping off rooftops and one day, save his life.

Jim turned, hearing the sound of light footsteps behind him. There he was and on time.

"We have a problem," Gordon said, cutting straight to the facts. He handed him a photo of a crime scene. "Two Wayne Tower security officers were found dead earlier this evening. Preliminary reports and tox screens are saying that it was drug poisoning."

"By what?"

"That's what we don't know," Gordon replied. "It's not by any chemical that we could figure out. The most we could come up with is that it is plant based and was injected through the mouth."

Batman stared at the picture, trying to identify the two officers.

"Who are they?"

Gordon leafed through the file in his hand.

"Peter St. Andrews and Josh Tulk."

Batman thought back to his day, remembering both those men greeting him when he entered Wayne Tower that morning and how he asked Mr. Fox to call security to escort Dr. Isley out of the building. He turned to Gordon.

"I think I know what is going on."

"You do?"

Batman looked down at the photo in his hands and handed it back to Gordon.

"Meet Bruce Wayne for breakfast at 6am at the corner of Dufferin and Peel."

Without another word, he turned and jumped off the building.

--------

"You're home early," Alfred said, as Bruce walked into the kitchen.

"I'm meeting Commissioner Gordon for breakfast in half hour," he said, reaching for the keys to his bike.

"Going casual, I assume."

Bruce smiled weakly. He had on his blue jeans and a white polo shirt. Bruce pulled on his jacket.

"Is Olivia still home?"

Alfred shook his head. "You just missed her."

Bruce shrugged.

"And that is becoming something more and more common, sir. I'd suggest that you both set aside some time to discuss your disputes before..."

Bruce suddenly turned.

"Before what? Before she leaves me, Alfred?"

"No sir. Before the wall that you've built up between you two is so wide that you wont be able to cross over it."

Bruce knew Alfred was right, but he hadn't seen or talked to Olivia since that fateful morning, two days ago. As far as he knew, Olivia still didn't want to speak to him.

--------

Morningstar Diner

5:55am

Gordon sat along the wall of the small diner. He had been early. He had arrived at quarter to six, anticipating his breakfast with Mr. Wayne. He had never met with the billionaire in a casual environment and was looking forward to see what he was going to tell him that he couldn't divulge as the Dark Knight.

He looked up, hearing the bell by the door ring. What he saw, surprised him. He did not appear to be dressed as a stereotypical billionaire businessman. His well worn blue jeans, jacket and windblown hair made him look, normal. Bruce caught Jim's eye and he walked over to him, his bike helmet under his arm. Jim watched as Bruce slid onto the bench across from him and placed his helmet next to him.

"Thanks for meeting me," Bruce said, grabbing a menu off the table. Jim watched him. He was amazed at how many persona's this man could make.

"No problem. I was just finishing up my shift."

"Midnights?" Bruce said as he winced. "I thought as Commissioner, you could keep with the standard eight hours during the day."

Jim had to grin at Bruce's comment.

"Being the police commissioner has it's perks but I still like to think of myself as part of a team and not someone who is above them," he said, as a waitress approached them.

She looked from Jim to Bruce. If she recognized either one of them, she didn't make it known. She merely shook her head and sighed.

"What can I get for you fellas?"

"Just a coffee and toast for me," Gordon said, folding up his menu. The waitress turned to Bruce.

"I'll have the same, but could I also get a piece of that wonderful apple pie that you have behind the front counter?" he asked with a smile. "Oh, and could I also have bacon and eggs, scrambled?"

The waitress wrote down the order on her pad of paper with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that all?"

Bruce smiled and nodded before the waitress left. Gordon sat, staring at the man in front of him.

"Hungry?"

"Well I haven't had breakfast yet and the ride over worked up my appetite."

Gordon smiled knowingly. After a few seconds of silence, Gordon tried to think of a way to engage a conversation with Bruce without mentioning anything unusual whom other patrons would overhear.

"You know, my wife makes a wonderful apple pie," Bruce began.

"Really?"

Bruce nodded. "She hasn't made one in a while since she began working at the bakery."

"Oh, the one over on seventh?"

"Yeah. It was my wedding present to her. In fact, she came to see me at work the other day while I was in my office with a woman by the name of Dr. Pamela Isley."

Gordon had no clue what Bruce was talking about. To him, he was just making idle conversation, but when he began talking about Dr. Isley, it caught his attention.

"She once worked for an organization that Wayne Enterprises used to fund called Botanical Relief," he said. "They were primarily a research company working towards environmental protection but it also involved some experiments with plants. Anyways, since the closure of the organization, has approached me twice hoping to get a donation towards her own cause."

"That woman at the Gotham Golf and Country Club?"

Bruce nodded as Gordon shook his head.

"I couldn't keep my eyes off of her," he said, softly, not wanting anyone else to hear. "And as odd as it sounds, I felt insanely jealous that she was talking to you and not to me."

Bruce smiled weakly.

"Anyways, she came to my office two days ago and somehow she walked out of there with a signed check from me for ten million dollars and..." Bruce paused for a moment, his voice turning bitter. "She has ruined my marriage."

Gordon listened, digesting what Bruce was telling him. He didn't need to know how that woman had ruined his marriage. Gordon could just imagine as the man sat broken in front of him as Bruce continued.

"After figuring out what was going on when I was not in the same room as her, I asked for security to escort her out of the building."

"Peter St. Andrews and Josh Tulk."

Bruce nodded.

"I believe she may be working with someone else though," he added. "When I was at the Botanical Relief in Seattle last week, I saw the same flower that produces the hallucinogenic compound that flooded Gotham city a few years ago. She said that she was doing experiments with it."

Gordon's eyes widened as he sighed.

"But I thought that Ra's Al Ghul was dead."

"Someone from his organization is behind this."

"What are they planning?"

Bruce sat back and shook his head.

--------

Monday, September 16th

9:25pm

"I'm so sorry, 'Liv," Jill said, before taking a sip of her coffee. "I can't believe that he did that. That's horrible."

"What do I do in this situation? I pretty much snuck out of the house just to get out tonight," Olivia said. "I couldn't handle the silence anymore."

The two friends sat around a small bistro table inside a middle class late night restaurant. Being a weekday night, it was quite empty. Olivia had been looking forward to this evening out since she made the date with her friend, Jill the week prior. She was the only one that she knew that she could talk to outside of Wayne Manor who wouldn't turn around and talk to a publicist about the rocky marriage of Bruce and Olivia Wayne. She could trust her not to let the world know that on top of no longer speaking to each other, they were no longer sharing the same bed. Olivia got Bruce to sleep in the guest bedroom next door and some nights she would work all day and sleep at the penthouse only to return to the bakery early the next morning. The last thing she wanted was to have the same arms that were around Dr. Isley to be on her. It worked out well too. Bruce had been spending every night for the past two weeks out on the streets of Gotham and he'd return just after Olivia left to go to work at the bakery. She tossed herself into her work there. She would stay for nearly twelve hours a day at one point, leaving Alfred to drop off and pick up David from school. David. The boy hadn't seen much of his parents and Alfred had even mentioned it to Olivia at one point. Thankfully, as far as she knew, he wasn't realizing that the relationship between his parents wasn't on the best of terms.

"You're making the silence," Jill suddenly reminded her.

"That's only because I don't know what to say to him," she said. "For the past two weeks, he's left a different bouquet of flowers for me. He bought me a bracelet and a necklace. It's as though he thinks that he can wipe up his mistakes with money. Unfortunately, money isn't absorbent."

Jill grinned at the statement.

"And my next problem is that there is that annual charity fashion show on Sunday that I'm expected to attend with Bruce," she said, picking up her bottle of water. "We promised we'd be there nearly 2 months ago. A lot has happened since then."

Olivia glanced around the restaurant.

"Can I tell you something? I've been wanting to tell someone forever."

Jill smiled at the excitement in Olivia's voice and nodded.

"I'm due in January."

The smile faded momentarily from Jill's face as the news hit her. It quickly came back to her face.

"Are you kidding me? You're pregnant?"

Olivia nodded.

"January? That's like, less than four months away." Jill reached over to touch Olivia's stomach, feeling the hard bump. "Now that I know, I can tell, but you hide it well. It just appears that you've been putting on a little weight."

"Apparently so," Olivia commented. "Bruce doesn't know. I never had a chance to tell him...yet. With our marriage problems, I don't want to add that to it all."

Jill smiled sympathetically.

"I had an ultrasound last week and they gave me a due date of January 16th. I was further along than they thought."

"And you didn't know?"

"I was in believing that I'd never be pregnant so it was the last thing that I would suspect. I've only felt movement this past week. I'm only twenty-two weeks along."

Jill nodded. "I felt movement with Natalie earlier than I did with Michael. I think it's because I knew what it felt like." Jill sat back and smiled. "You look great too, but you won't be able to hide it for much longer. In the next month you're going to become noticeably pregnant."

"I know. I can't believe that within the past two weeks I feel like I've ballooned out!"

Jill reached forward for her coffee, took a sip and smiled. "You're gonna have to tell him."

---------------------

10:42pm

Olivia sighed as she sat down behind the wheel of her BMW. It was nice to get out, but she was feeling exhausted. It had been a while since she would stay up as late as she had. She turned the car on and began to drive. A small light on the dashboard caught her attention and she shook her head.

"Oh no, he didn't!" she said to herself as she pulled over along the curb. She had forgotten that Bruce had put tracking devices on all of his cars and had their GPS locations sent back to the cave or to the Tumbler, whichever he wanted. She turned off the car and climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind her.

Olivia looked up and towards the buildings across the road, crossing her arms. Still being cautious, she walked into an alleyway between two apartment buildings. She walked past a large garbage bin and sighed when she stopped.

"I may be talking to myself, but I'm hoping that there are other ears nearby," she said. "And I'd appreciate the chance to get out by myself."

Not seeing or hearing anything around her, she let out an aggravated sigh and turned to walk back out of the alley when she was suddenly enveloped in a cover of black. She gasped, feeling the air rush around her until she came to rest on top of the apartment building. She had seen Bruce as Batman many times, but to see him out in the streets of Gotham gave him an air of darkness and fear. Olivia didn't fear him though. She could see the man behind the mask and was ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"How dare you!" she exclaimed, softly. "You were following me!"

"I had to know that you were safe," Batman whispered. "No one had heard from you all evening and I was worried."

Olivia snorted. No one, meaning himself and Alfred.

"So you do care."

Olivia was sure she saw him roll his eyes behind that mask.

"Of course I do," he stated. "What are you doing out here?"

"I had to get out and get some fresh air," she explained. "I needed to have room to think."

"Without telling me where you were?"

Olivia sighed and turned to look out at the buildings around them. They were quite high.

"I'm sorry," she heard him say from directly behind her. "Not for following you here, but for what I did. I'm telling you the truth when I say that I don't know how it happened. I would never cheat on you. I've been doing some research at home and I think that I was affected by something. I don't remember much of when she was in the room, like I was intoxicated."

Olivia closed her eyes, hoping and wishing that she could believe him. It sounded crazy but it was hard not to trust him.

"I've missed you. I love you," he whispered into her ear. She felt the skin on the back of her neck turn into goosebumps. Even though he spoke to her with the disguised voice of Batman, it still had an effect on her.

"Bru..." she began to whisper, when she felt herself quickly being pulled into the shadows of the rooftop.

Without another moment lost, she suddenly felt her back rest up against the cold metal of the rooftop air conditioner and felt his lips on hers. The kisses were soft as though he was begging for forgiveness. Olivia reached up to touch his face and trailed her fingers along the edge of the mask around his mouth. She could feel his gloved hand wrap around her back and pull her closer to him. Olivia found her hands at the back of his head, imagining his hair but feeling the Kevlar under her hands. She unconsciously moaned and Batman ran his hands up her back, wishing that they weren't on a rooftop and he wasn't dressed as Batman. Olivia missed Bruce's touch as much as he missed her. She hadn't realized it until she had first felt his lips on hers and the familiar, tender touch of his hand.

The sound of a gunshot quickly caught his attention and he turned his head in the direction which he had just heard the sound. His arms were still around Olivia and he turned back to look at her.

"Go," she said, softly, her lips slightly swollen. "We'll talk when you get home."

She could see the hope in his dark eyes.

"You'll be up?"

She nodded. "If not, wake me."

He reached out and gently touched her cheek with his gloved hand.

A few moments later, Olivia found herself being lowered onto the ground in the alley before Batman once again disappeared. She couldn't help but smile. She still loved that man.

Olivia walked back out to her car and stopped. Each of her tires had been slashed and were flat.

"Great!" she exclaimed sarcastically, looking back up at the building, hoping that Bruce was still around. When she realized he wasn't, she unlocked the car with her keys and reached for her purse from the passenger seat to get her cell phone.

"Having some car problems?" a voice called from behind her. She jumped, seeing the thin man walk across the street towards her. "Maybe I can help."

Olivia smiled kindly, but was still cautious. "No, thanks. I have some friends on the way."

The man cocked his head to the side and smirked. "Do you? I hope they're as sweet lookin' as you."

"Guy friends, actually," she lied, reaching into her purse.

Suddenly, the man pulled out a knife.

"Drop your purse," he said, pushing Olivia into the side of her car. Quickly, she did what he asked. Cautiously, he picked it up and tossed it to another man who had appeared out of nowhere behind her by the alley. The man pulled out her wallet and found money. When they realized she had less than one hundred dollars, the man with the knife moved closer to her.

"Now, jewelry," he said, grabbing the wrist of her left hand. He eyed the rings on her hand as she shakily moved her other hand to pull them off. Once they were free from her finger, the man grabbed them from her hand. At the same moment, Olivia swiftly kicked the man in the groin causing him to bend over in pain. Quickly, she ran from the car down the street.

"Help me!" she cried, praying that Bruce would hear her. She could hear the rapid footsteps behind her, heavy breathing catching up with her. A sudden tug on her coat slowed her down until she felt a weight crash into her from behind and she landed flat on the ground. The wind had been knocked out of her and she tried to catch her breath as the man ruthlessly flipped her over onto her back. Olivia's hands moved protectively over her stomach as fear for her unborn child filled her as the pain seared through her back. The man reached for her hands and held them to the ground with his hands.

The other man whom she had kicked in the groin walked up to where Olivia was pinned on the ground. She wiggled and writhed to free herself.

"HELP!" she screamed as loud as she possibly could as tears of fear and pain began to pour down her cheeks.

The two large men seemed to enjoy her trembling.

"Please," she said, as her lip trembled. "I need....I'm...please, don't."

The one man standing above her suddenly took off running as the other was violently kicked off of her. Olivia rolled over onto her side and gasped at the pain that the simple movement elicited. She sat up, forcing her eyes open to see Batman mercilessly beat the one man to the point where he was unconscious. A second later, something shot from his wrist and caught the other running man in the ankle and pulled him back towards him. She could hear the man begging before he was quickly knocked out and there was silence once again.

Olivia wasn't sure when Batman was in front of her, but he heard her say her name over and over and finally felt his hands on either side of her face.

"Olivia," she heard him say sternly to get her attention. "Are you all right?"

She moved her mouth, but no words were coming out. She pinched her eyes shut when she felt the painful feeling in her stomach once again. She winced and leaned forward.

"You're bleeding," Batman suddenly said, looking at her wrists. He quickly scooped her up in his arms. Olivia gasped at the quick movement. She heard him apologize and before long she was sitting in the passenger seat of the tumbler. The rooftop closed. She gripped onto the handle next to her and Batman could see the fear in her eyes.

"You're all right," he said, before he pulled the cowl off of his head. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Bruce..." she gasped. "I need to go to the hospital."

His eyes widened as he quickly looked at her up and down, wondering why she would need medical attention.

"Why? What's wrong?"

He watched her face as she began to cry. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"Olivia, what are you talking about?"

"I'm nearly 23 weeks pregnant."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N - jason kent had asked why I chose the name David for Bruce and Olivia's son. Here's my reason. Simply put, he's a normal boy and it's a normal, common name. I don't like it when people pick names that are totally off the wall and are rarely(if at all) heard of(no offence to anyone who does this cause when you're the writer, you can name your characters anything...but this is just my view of things). It reminds me of Anne of Green Gables when she never liked her own name cause it was too plain and boring...so she wanted to be called Cordelia. David is a normal kid, but as he has learned, his life is far from it and to emphasize that point, I wanted to keep his name normal. Do I know any David's? Yes...a few...in fact there is one in my immediate family and he is 1 year old(he turned one last month). But the David that I created is not based on anyone that I know. He's original. The same goes for Olivia. Her name is relatively common and I know two Olivia's and both of them are under 20 years old.

I hope this answers your question...:)

-------------

"You're what?"

Olivia was beginning to sob; the stress of keeping it silent for so long and the anxiety of Bruce possibly being angry was all washing out of her. Not only were her wrists hurting and scratched up from falling hard onto the ground, she felt cramps radiating from her stomach around to her back. She had only felt that sensation once before when she was in labour with David and to feel them now, scared her to death. She sat in shock as Bruce quickly reached over her shoulder and pulled the seat belt down and locked it. Olivia took a deep breath as he turned on the ignition to the tumbler and pushed hard on the accelerator, forcing her body into the back of the seat with the pressure.

"Hold on," he stated, darkly. Perhaps he didn't even realize that he no longer had his mask on. Still, Olivia glanced over and watched his features as he set he clenched his jaw and glared down the street in front of him. She gasped with the quick turns.

"I'm so sorry, Bruce," she choked out between sobs. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Bruce had never driven the tumbler as quickly as he had then. Her words echoed in his head. She was pregnant with his child and he didn't even know. He couldn't believe it. He quickly glanced over at her stomach and could see a small bulge under her protective hand. He wondered why he never realized it before. Sure, she wasn't a skinny model whom he once spent his time with. If she had been, he was certain that it would be evident, but with her long torso she could easily hide it for a while. What worried him most is why she never told him. How long had she known? 23 weeks is a long time to go without telling your own husband that you're expecting a child. Maybe she was concerned about how he'd react. Of course she'd be concerned. His mind went back to the past few weeks and it dawned on him why she wouldn't say anything. He was upset, but his fear for his unborn child and wife outweighed it all.

"I know that you're upset," she stammered, recognizing the familiar expression on his face. "But could you please slow down. The bumps and sharp turns are making this unbearable."

He looked back over at her and noticed how she was holding onto the metal rail along the side of the tumbler; her knuckles nearly white. He relaxed his hand on the accelerator and glanced over at her, his features softening in hopes of calming her down.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm fine one moment and then the next I'm having horrible cramps. It never seems to ease up on my back though," she said quickly, one hand on her stomach and the other holding onto the side of the tumbler for dear life as Bruce continued to make his sharp turns in and around traffic.

"That sounds like labour."

She let out a breath, looked over at him and shook her head. "I seriously hope not. I'm not due until mid-January. Are we there yet!?"

"Almost," he replied.

Bruce couldn't help but smile, even in the current situation. She was pregnant, even when the doctors told them it would be impossible. He looked over at her when she heard her begin to take deep breaths again.

"We're almost there," he assured her when he saw the sign for Dent Memorial Hospital. "I'm going to have to drop you off and I'll come back as quickly as I can."

Olivia had her eyes closed, but nodded, acknowledging that she did hear him. She felt the tumbler come to an abrupt stop, the harness of the seat firmly holding her in place. She heard the sound of Bruce pulling the cowl back over his head.

"Here we go," he said before opening the rooftop. He quickly jumped out and ran to the other side and picked up Olivia out of the seat. She hung onto him, not wanting to let go.

She heard the doors of the ER swish open and Batman's voice as he quickly called a nurse over before laying her on a gurney near the door.

"What's wrong?"

Olivia opened her eyes, meeting Batman's for a moment. He placed a hand on her forehead for a brief second.

"Preterm labour," Batman said darkly, and like that, he disappeared from her view. She closed her eyes as another cramp began.

"Okay, get her up to the OB floor. Page Dr. Snider," the nurse said to someone beside her. Olivia could feel the gurney start to move but didn't want to open her eyes at the bright lights that they passed under. "How far along are you, dear?"

Olivia took a deep breath.

"Almost 23 weeks."

"Okay, get neonatal on standby for a possible early delivery as well," the nurse said to someone across the gurney. Olivia felt a warm hand touch hers. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Oli..Olivia Wayne."

---------------------

Batcave

11:24pm

Alfred was worried. He stood waiting in the cave for Bruce to return home. He watched as the Tumbler raced into the cave. It had barely stopped when Batman jumped out from the drivers seat and jogged up the stone pathway towards him, already taking the armour off of himself as he walked.

"The hospital called about twenty minutes ago," Alfred said quickly, passing Bruce a pair of pants and a casual t-shirt as he walked past.

"Did they say how she was?"

Alfred shook his head, following swiftly behind Bruce, picking up the armour as he went. "No, sir. Only that you were needed there right away."

"Damn it, Alfred," Bruce exclaimed. "For all I know, my child could be dying and I only found out that my wife was pregnant less than a half hour before." He looked over at Alfred as the man picked up the last pieces of Kevlar that Bruce had dropped on the floor. Bruce paused for a moment and watched Alfred, noticing that the man didn't seem at all surprised with the news of Olivia's pregnancy. "Did you know?"

Alfred stood up and nodded. "Mrs. Wayne requested that I wouldn't mention it to you and that she was planning on telling you. In fact, the day she discovered she was pregnant was the same day that she walked in on you and Dr. Isley. She was on her way to tell you."

Bruce paused, his face long and downcast.

"She went into preterm labour, Alfred," he said, pulling on his pants. "If I even knew that she was pregnant I wouldn't have left her alone on that street. If anything happens to the baby..."

"Sir, this is not your fault," Alfred interrupted. "I don't even want to hear you talk about it being your fault or feeling guilty in anyway. Both Olivia and the baby are in the best care that they could be in right now and I suggest that you hurry up so you can join your wife."

Bruce nodded, knowing that once again, the old man was right.

"Look after David for me?"

"Of course sir."

--------

11:53pm

Bruce walked anxiously through the halls of the OB floor, hoping to find Olivia somewhere. The front desk told him to go right up as she was tucked away in an area of the OB wing of the hospital where she'd be safe from reporters, gawkers and the general public. He passed extremely pregnant women walking the halls, pulling IV units behind them as they shuffled along. He glanced down as a small bassinet was pushed down the hallway with a newborn tightly wrapped, but still hadn't found Olivia. He felt oddly out of place. Suddenly, a nurse came up to him.

"Mr. Wayne!" she exclaimed. "The front desk told me that you were on your way up. I must have missed you when I went to discharge one of the patients. Follow me, and I'll bring you to your wife."

The nurse led him further down the hall and through another set of double doors that she accessed with her hospital security card. On the other side of the doors, he passed a nurses station to his left where two ladies sat and a man stood, looking at files. Bruce followed the nurse around a corner. Finally, she stopped at a room where the door was partially open.

Bruce smiled to the nurse, thanking her as he slowly walked into the room. The first thing he noticed was the sound. The best way that he could describe it was that it sounded like a horse galloping through water and every so often it would be louder. In the dimmed room, Bruce saw Olivia reclined in a bed, her head turned away from him as she looked at a monitor screen. Numerous wires were attached to her and a IV line was taped to her wrist. A doctor sat beside her on a chair, operating a computer and an ultrasound machine. The doctor looked back at Olivia, moving the probe slowly over her stomach. He glanced up, seeing Bruce walk in the door and he paused. The doctor looked down at Olivia who then turned towards Bruce as he approached her. She smiled.

"Olivia, thank God you're all right," Bruce said as he leaned over and lightly kiss her lips. Olivia reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his hair between her fingers once again. She let him go and turned to the doctor beside her.

"Bruce, this is Dr. Sean Snider," she said, as the doctor stood up and offered Bruce his hand. Bruce reached out and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Wayne," Dr. Snider said, before he sat back down.

"Call me, Bruce and thank you for taking care of her," Bruce said, smiling down at Olivia as he pulled a chair from beside the wall up to the side of the bed.

"I'm just doing my job. I was told that Batman brought your wife in earlier this evening," Sean said, smiling. "And it's a good thing he did too. She was registering contractions, although they were fairly mild, about every ten minutes or so. We were able to lessen them using an IV of magnesium sulfate and they have pretty much disappeared in the past half hour. There has been no bleeding, no membrane rupture and less than one centimeter of dilation. I was just doing an ultrasound to check on your baby to see how its handled the contractions."

The doctor quickly gave a tour of what he was seeing. As Bruce watched the screen, trying to figure out what he was seeing, he felt Olivia's hand suddenly take his. Dr. Snider paused the screen on a side profile of the baby. Bruce couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was in awe at what he was seeing. He was actually watching his child moving.

"That's amazing," Bruce said. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Dr. Snider moved the probe and watched the screen.

"The last I saw, the legs were crossed, but the last side profile they weren't," he said. He smiled and shook his head before pointing up at the screen. "The cord is now between its legs. One hand is above the head and the other is touching the cord. It seems that your baby is being modest."

Olivia chuckled.

"Everything looks good," Dr. Snider said. "There is no evidence of trauma that I can see, but I'd like to keep you overnight to keep an eye on those contractions to ensure that they don't start up again. I'm not sure if you remember but we quickly gave you a shot of steroids when you came in to help with lung maturity in the fetus.

"When can I go home?"

"Tomorrow, if everything goes well tonight," he replied. "But I'll want you to take it easy. I'm not talking bed rest, but modify your routine. No heavy lifting, no added stress, no overdoing it and lots of rest. I don't want to see you again here until mid-December, at the earliest."

Dr. Snider switched off the ultrasound machine and pushed it against the wall as Olivia pulled the top of her hospital gown down over her exposed stomach and the straps of the contraction and heartbeat monitor.

"I suggest you get some rest," he said, standing up. "Keep the contraction monitor on and I'll check on you in the morning."

Olivia smiled and Bruce thanked him as he left the room.

Bruce watched Olivia as she tucked the IV tube under her arm. He reached forward and brushed his calloused hand over her cheek. She looked up, meeting his eyes.

"You're feeling better?"

"Much," she replied. She waited a few seconds before speaking again. "I'm so sorry, Bruce. I never meant for you to find out this way."

A smile came to his face.

"Don't worry about it anymore," Bruce said, reaching out to take her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. "All that matters to me right now is that you rest. You have some pretty precious cargo inside you that as much as I'd like to meet him or her, I'd rather wait for as long as possible."

Olivia smiled, letting out a shaky sigh as the tears came to her eyes.

"You're happy?"

Bruce grinned. "I am."

Her smile disappeared as she looked down at her left hand, seeing the emptiness on it.

"How stupid was I to pull the car over just so I could get a chance to yell at you for following me? What if you hadn't shown up? What if I was still out there on that pavement right now?"

Bruce quickly took her hand and forced her to look at him as he smiled.

"You're fine," he said, smiling widely. "You're fine and the baby is fine. Don't worry anymore."

Bruce saw her looking down at their hands, running her thumb along his wedding band; a habit that she would often do when he held her hand. He sat back and reached into his pant pocket with his right hand.

"I just about forgot," he said, pulling out two diamond rings. "I managed to get these back for you. Mind you, the guy wasn't too pleased about it."

Olivia chuckled as she wiped the tears from her cheeks as Bruce took her hand and gently slipped them back on.

"I love you," he said softly, kissing her hand.

Olivia sat up from her reclined position, ignoring the beeping of the contraction monitor that was strapped around herself and reached forward to take Bruce's head between her hands. She gently felt his hair.

"I love you," she said, as the tears came back to her eyes. Before he had a chance to say anything she pulled his head forward and kissed his mouth. Bruce felt awkward and conscious of the numerous wires and IV's coming from Olivia but kissed her nonetheless. Suddenly he pulled back, hearing the beeping sound coming from the monitor behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled.

"Relax, Bruce," she said, chuckling slightly. "It's just telling me to lie back down cause the contraction and heartbeat monitors have slipped off my stomach." She lifted her shirt slightly and pulled up the large elastic around her stomach and the beeping stopped. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. While Olivia sat, it was obvious that she was pregnant.

"I can't believe I never noticed," he said, softly.

"You have been quite busy lately," she told him, as she slowly laid down to keep the large strap in place. "And if it's any consolation, I've only really become noticeable in the past week and half."

He reached out and gently touched her stomach.

"The media is going to find out," he warned.

She shrugged. "Who cares! I called my parents shortly after I was admitted. I thought they'd like to know that I was in preterm labour with their grandchild before the word got out that I was even pregnant."

Bruce grinned and pushed himself up off the bed and walked over to the window. He pushed the curtains apart slightly, looking out into the night.

"You don't have to stay here and be my babysitter," she said.

He looked back at her. "I'm not going anywhere tonight. You get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"Are you sure?"

Bruce walked back over to her and leaned over, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"I'm use to being up in the night," he replied, reaching behind the bed to turn off the light. Except for the dim light coming from under the hallway door and the lights of Gotham outside her window, the room was dark. Olivia could barely see Bruce, but knew that he was there in the shadows. "Good night, Olivia."

-------------------------

Sunday, September 22nd

Wayne Manor

4:35pm

"Good lord, Bruce! I'm fine!"

He shook his head, walking out of the study and into the hall. After a morning of exercise, Bruce had changed down in the cave into his dress pants and shirt, prepared to go to the charity fashion show, alone. He did up the buttons as he walked. Olivia seemed to be a stark contrast to what he was wearing with her jogging pants and long sleeve shirt, accentuating her small pregnant stomach that seemed to become more noticeable each day. She walked right beside him, keeping up with his fast pace.

"I don't think that's a good idea, 'Liv."

"I've been stuck in this house since I came home from the hospital!" she exclaimed, walking next to him. "I've taken it easy; Alfred can attest to that." Olivia looked over at Alfred as he walked down the stairs. He stopped when he met the couple at the bottom.

"Attest to what, madam?"

Olivia smiled before turning back to Bruce. "I've been taking it easy all week and there have been no signs of preterm labour. I'm fine."

Bruce looked over at Alfred who nodded. He was about to speak when Olivia continued.

"Alfred can drop David off at the Craig's while we go to the fashion show and we can pick him up later on tonight on our way home," she suggested.

Bruce glanced back at Alfred.

"She seems to have this all planned."

Alfred smiled at Olivia. "Indeed she has."

-------------

DeGio Estate Winery

6:19pm

They couldn't have asked for a better day. The cool late September sunset and light easterly winds were perfect for the event. The charity fashion show was held on the grounds of the most prestigious winery just south of the city. In fact, it was one of the largest vineyards on the east coast and also happened to be owned by the two-time elected mayor of Gotham City, Mayor Anthony Garcia. It had been in his family for three generations and prided itself with using authentic Italian wine making techniques. Its location proved to be beneficial as well. The sandy ground by the ocean was perfect for the acres of vineyard on the property. Rows upon rows of these vineyards welcomed the guests as they travelled up the long driveway towards the large building which hosted the charity fashion show.

Bruce pulled the Jaguar up to the front of the building where a half dozen valets were walking back and forth to the cars. Not surprisingly, a large crowd of reporters and photographers lined the drive by the front door. Their arrival sparked a flurry of flashing lights. Bruce stopped the car and looked over at Olivia beside him. He watched as she pulled the visor mirror down to check her appearance one last time. She knew that their cameras would be focused on her and the last thing she wanted to hear for the next week was how horrible she looked.

She felt Bruce take her hand and saw him smile one last time before he opened the door. A wave of voices flooded the inside of the luxury car as Bruce stepped out. He walked around the car, passing the keys to the valet as he went. Olivia pushed open her door as Bruce met her on her side and helped her up from the low-profile car. The lights from the cameras seemed to blind her and barely gave her a moment to blink. She knew that coming out in public with the media now knowing of her pregnancy that they would be worse than usual, but she didn't expect this.

Bruce walked past them all with Olivia at his side. They walked into the large estate and passed

"Bruce, Olivia," Mayor Garcia said, holding his hand out. "Glad you two could make it. I heard that you're expecting. That's wonderful. Congratulations."

"We wouldn't miss this," Bruce said, shaking the man's hand. "My wife has been looking forward to getting out to your event for a few months now."

Anthony turned to Olivia and smiled.

"Well, enjoy yourselves," he said, patting Bruce on the back before he left to talk with more guests. Olivia leaned over towards Bruce.

"He's really pinning for a third run in office, isn't he?"

Bruce smiled, glancing back at the Mayor as he laughed at a joke that one of his trust-fund guests had made.

"I'm afraid that Ben Fiorella doesn't have much of a chance this year," Bruce said, as a waiter carrying a tray of wine glasses stopped in front of them. Bruce held up his hand, refusing the offer before the waiter continued to make his rounds. Bruce watched as people glanced over at them, mainly at Olivia. He looked at her, happy to see that she wasn't aware of the idle chitchat happening around her.

"Let's find out seats," Bruce suggested, taking Olivia by the hand.

----------------

She could hear them screaming. It was almost too much. Dr. Isley closed her eyes, and fought back her sadness with anger. How could anyone do this to something so helpless? She eyed the vineyard with sympathy as she looked out the window from the large estate. The blond and brunette's around her seemed to ignore her presence until one tapped her on the shoulder.

"It's Ivy, right?"

Pamela turned around hearing the name that she had first introduced herself as when she arrived. She smiled at the young blond.

"We're starting in ten."

Pamela nodded, as the woman walked away. She turned back towards the window.

"Your time of reckoning, my dears, has begun," she whispered.

----------------

Bruce grinned as Olivia squirmed in her chair. He couldn't blame her. The seats were uncomfortable and he could just imagine how Olivia felt with the poor back support. Graciously, he put his hand across the back of the seat. Olivia looked over at him and smiled, leaning back against his arm which made her feel much better. As the lights dimmed, Olivia and Bruce turned their attention to the fashion show that was starting. Thousands of dollars were going up for every outfit that one of the models wore, all going towards charity. Bruce was bored and in Olivia's mind, the clothes all looked hideous. There was no possible way that she would wear any of the clothes she saw, whether she was pregnant or not. Bruce had already decided prior to the show starting that he would make a contribution without purchasing any of the clothing they saw.

Olivia leaned over towards Bruce.

"You'd think that the designers would have a little more insight in what people want to wear these days," Olivia said, chuckling into his ear. She looked up at him, seeing that his eyes were glued to the catwalk.

"Uh oh," was his only response.

She followed his gaze and found them set on a beautiful auburn haired woman with a smile that Olivia would never forget.

"Oh my god."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N - Have you ever heard that song called 'Carrot Juice is Murder'? It's the stupidest folk song ever, but I couldn't help think that it would be Ivy's anthem. :) Save the veggies!!

----------------------

'What the hell is she doing here?'

That was the first thought that Olivia had when she saw Dr. Isley appear in the spotlight wearing a strapless, sexy green taffeta short tea length cocktail dress. The dress was form fitting, accentuating her bust and her slender form. Olivia had to admit that the dress did look nice, but she didn't care for the wearer. The other spectators of the show watched as she walked down the runway. Olivia saw Pamela glance down at her as she passed by with a wink.

Olivia leaned towards Bruce.

"Did you see who that was?"

"Uh huh," Bruce replied softly. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Olivia was astonished. "What?"

"I said, she's beautiful," Bruce repeated as Dr. Isley turned at the end of the runway and walked back, glancing down at Bruce once again.

"That's not the adjective that I would use," Olivia muttered. She leaned back in her chair, when she caught the faint smell of smoke. Suddenly, the fire alarm went off. The people around her suddenly stood up, slightly panicked as Mayor Garcia quickly stood up at the podium. As he was about to speak, the curtains on the large windows around the room quickly caught on fire and travelled up to the ceiling and began to lick the walls. A moment later, the sprinklers came on, covering everyone and everything in water. That's when a large explosion from across the building shook the large room they were in.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mayor Garcia shouted loudly over the screams when he realized that the power for the audio system was down. "Don't panic! Please make your way to the exits safely."

Unfortunately, no one really heard what he had to say, nor did they even care. People pushed to get out of the room.

Bruce took Olivia's hand, quickly looking around himself. She saw that familiar look on his face.

"Go," she said, softly. "I'll get out."

Surprisingly, Bruce shook his head. "I'm not leaving you like this."

He turned his attention from Olivia and looked past her to where Dr. Isley was walking up to the Mayor. Within two seconds, her lips were on his and just as quickly, he had slumped to the ground. The high pitch shriek from a woman caught Olivia's attention and she spun around, seeing Mayor Garcia on the ground.

"What..?"

"Dr. Isley kissed him," Bruce answered her before she had a chance to ask, rushing with Olivia towards the podium as most of the guests had made their way out of the partially burning room.

"He's not breathing!" a woman from the show exclaimed to Bruce, as she leaned over the fallen Mayor. A few seconds later, Commissioner Gordon was beside them. He pulled off his jacket and tossed it on the floor. He pushed the woman out of the way, urging her to get out of the building.

"I'll start CPR," he said, just as Bruce put out his hand, stopping him.

"Don't," he warned. "Toxins induced through the mouth...."

"Like the two Wayne Tower security guards," Gordon finished. He quickly looked behind him seeing that Pamela Isley had disappeared.

"What? You can't just leave him like this!" Olivia exclaimed.

A loud crash of partially burned wooden embers blew into the room.

"We need to get out of here," Gordon said, glancing over his shoulder. He turned back to Bruce. "I'll take care of the Mayor. You take care of your wife."

Bruce nodded, taking Olivia by the hand as they stood up. The room was empty except for them. The room was quickly being engulfed as the smoke filled the room. The exits were blocked. Bruce looked over at the large windows. Quickly, he grabbed a chair and tossed it at the window. The first throw cracked it.

"Get back!" he called out to Gordon and Olivia as he threw it once again, shattering the window into a million pieces. The shards of glass fell to the ground. He turned back to Olivia as she joined him and he helped her to the waiting fire fighters outside on the ground. Behind him, Gordon passed Mayor Garcia to Bruce before together they lifted him through the window to the fire fighters outside.

When they were all out and far enough from the building, Bruce looked back at the estate as it was heavily engulfed in flames.

-------------------

Sunday, September 22nd

11:14pm

Wayne Manor

Bruce sighed as he sat on the edge of his bed, watching the television report of the fire at the winery and the death of Mayor Anthony Garcia. Everything was starting to make sense now. He knew exactly who was the cause of the fire, the death of those security officers and now, the death of the Mayor. But somehow he didn't feel comfortable going after her. Whenever she was in the same room as he, it was hard to think clearly or rationally. It was something that could prove to be dangerous.

"It's a wonder that neither one of you ended up with anything more than soot and dirt on yourselves," Alfred said, walking into the bedroom wearing his pajamas and carrying a cup of tea. He handed the cup to Bruce before glancing over at the bathroom door. "Is Olivia in the shower?"

Bruce nodded.

"I could have stopped her, Alfred," Bruce said. "Pamela Isley, I mean."

"You can't change what has happened, sir," Alfred reminded him. "You above all, should know that."

A soft knock at the bedroom door caught the attention of both men. David stood at the door, in his pajamas. His eyes were squinting against the light and his hair was standing on end.

"David, what are you doing up?" Bruce asked, as the boy walked into the room and flopped onto the bed.

"I was on my way to the kitchen to get something to eat and I saw your light on," David said, as he rolled over onto his back. "Are you staying home tonight, Dad?"

Bruce looked at David as he rolled, his eye catching something hidden just under his shirt on his back.

"I haven't decided yet," Bruce replied, thinking. "David, roll over."

David looked over at him, confused. "Why?"

"Just, roll over."

Confused, David rolled over and his eyes widened when he realized what Bruce had seen. He felt his Dad lift up the back of his shirt.

"My word!" was Alfred's reaction to the large bruise on David's lower back.

"Where did you get that?" Bruce asked.

David shrugged, turning around, causing Bruce to let go of the shirt.

"Oh, that. It's nothing," he replied.

"It's hardly nothing, David," Bruce stated. "Were you in a fight?"

"Dad..." David said, pausing to think of a plausible excuse. "I didn't start it. I turned to walk away like Mom always tells me to do and the next thing I realize, I'm on the ground. I didn't know I had the bruise until a few days ago. I didn't want to mention it and have you guys worry about me."

Bruce sighed and nodded, accepting the reason, but still not satisfied.

"Okay. Tomorrow's a school day. You should get back to bed. We'll talk about this more tomorrow."

Groaning at the thought of school, David sat up and pushed himself up off the bed.

"Can I get you anything from the kitchen, Master David?" Alfred asked. David shook his head without looking back and walked out of the room.

"Why can't I believe him, Alfred?" Bruce asked. Before he could respond, they turned, hearing the bathroom door open and saw Olivia walk out, dressed as she dried her hair with a towel.

"I have some tea brewing downstairs, ma'am," Alfred said. "Would you care for some?"

Olivia smiled. "Yes Alfred. Just a little would be nice. I wouldn't want this little one to keep me up with the kicking that it does."

Alfred smiled and nodded as he left the room. Olivia looked over at Bruce as he watched the television.

"I know that look," she said, catching his attention. "This wasn't your fault."

Bruce sighed, turning off the television and standing up before walking over to Olivia.

"I had a hunch that Pamela was involved in the murder of those security guards," he said. "If I had acted on that hunch, nothing would've happened tonight."

Olivia reached up, placing her hands on either side of his face before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a hug.

"You're human, Bruce," she said, into his shoulder.

Olivia felt his hands push her wet, blond hair out of his face before he rested them on her back. He could feel the small, hard stomach between them and smiled to himself.

"I'm glad that you're all right," he said softly, pulling back. He brushed her hair again with his hand before leaning in to kiss her.

-----------------

Monday, September 23rd

7:06pm

The first thing that drew Bruce's attention down the hall was the loud music echoing towards him. Curiousity got the better of him as he made his way towards the work out gym. As he opened the door, he could hear a light grunting sound on top of the music. A grin pulled at his lips as he reached over and turned off the radio, instantly flooding the room with silence. David turned, seeing Bruce standing at the door.

"How much are you lifting?"

David looked down at the weights in his hands.

"Twenty pounds each," he replied, as Bruce tossed his suit coat onto the chair by the door before walking into the gym.

"You have good form," Bruce commented, which made David smile. "You're keeping your back straight. That's great. Would you be up for some defence training? I know you've been wanting me to teach you."

David bent over, gently placing each weight on the ground before standing back up.

"Uh, yeah, okay," he said.

Bruce nodded. "All right. Let me get changed."

David watched as Bruce turned and walked into the change room. When he was no longer in sight, he sighed nervously and sat down. A few minutes later, Bruce walked back out with a t-shirt and jogging pants.

"Are you ready?" Bruce called out. David nodded and stood up. He walked over to where Bruce stood on the mats.

"Now, I'm just going to show you a few things," Bruce said. "I don't want your Mom getting angry me for teaching you this stuff."

David rolled his eyes.

"I'm not a baby anymore."

Bruce grinned.

"Yeah well, you've got to humour your mother for the next little while," he said. "She seems to be a little more emotional than usual."

"I'll say! She was crying in the kitchen this morning when she found out that we were out of cream cheese. Alfred had to promise her that he'd get more later on."

Bruce shook his head and chuckled. "That's what I mean. If she found out that we were doing this, I'm afraid of how she'd react."

David smirked.

Bruce began to demonstrate various moves to evade punches, which David copied perfectly.

"Good job," he said, quite impressed and surprised.

David smiled, proud.

"How about something a little harder, Dad?"

Bruce nodded. "Okay." He walked towards David and turned him around so that he was facing away from him. Slowly, he put his forearm around his neck to grip him in a headlock. Before Bruce had a chance to even get a hold of David or knew what was happening, the boy spun around and tucked his leg under Bruce's, causing him to loose balance and fall to his knee. Bruce felt a weight on his shoulder and he glanced over his shoulder, seeing David resting his arm against his back. Bruce let out a breath in surprise.

"What was that? I never taught you that."

He stood up, and shrugged, as Bruce got up.

"From watching you, I guess."

"Watching me?"

David nodded.

Bruce watched David carefully, as he put his hands on his hips.

"Once more. Come here," Bruce said, calling David towards him with a wave from his finger.

Bruce held out his hand towards David. Cautiously, David looked it.

"Take my hand," Bruce said.

David reached forward and took his hand. Less than a second later, he was propelled towards him. David raised his elbow up and twisted around, trying to break Bruce's hold on his arm. Bruce's grip was tight and he quickly pulled David over his shoulder and planted him to the ground on his back. Bruce laid his forearm across David's chest.

"Never trust anyone outside of this house," Bruce said, deeply. "Now, tell me the the truth; who taught you this stuff?"

David struggled beneath Bruce's hold.

"No one!" David growled at him. "Let me go!"

"No more lies, David!" Bruce retorted, equally angered.

"I'm not!"

The sound of someone clearing their throat caused Bruce and David, both to look towards the gym door where Alfred stood.

"Is everything all right in here, sir?"

Bruce glanced down at David and scowled.

"I hope so," he said, as he stood up off of David. David quickly stood up.

"You had better not be lying to me again," Bruce warned, as David quickly left the room, not bothering to look at Alfred as he left.

Bruce shook his head and sighed as Alfred walked towards him.

"Trouble with Master David again?"

"I don't know what is with that boy, Alfred," he said. "Don't tell me that I was like that."

"It's hard to recall, but I do know that you had your moments," Alfred replied.

"I'm concerned about him," Bruce said as he walked out of the gym with Alfred beside him. He explained to Alfred what had happened when he was trying to show him various moves. "He's lying to me, Alfred. He's lying right to my face and he knows that I can read him like a book, yet he still does it. He had to have learned those maneuvers from somewhere and it certainly isn't me."

"Perhaps someone from school?"

Bruce shrugged.

"I'm heading out this evening," he said, turning towards the study. "Keep an eye on David and don't mention any of this to Olivia."

"Yes sir."

----

Thornley Bakery

9:03pm

Olivia sighed as she turned the sign over in the window to closed before locking the front door. She reached behind her waist and undid the apron and slipped it over her head. It had been a while since she worked an entire afternoon and evening at the bakery. Bruce had been extremely protective in the first week after her hospital visit, but after many reassurances and promises of taking it easy, she was back at work.

She pulled out a chair at the closest table and sat down as Adam, one of her college students picked up vacated plates on the other half four tables in the shop.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Olivia smirked. "Doing fine. This little one doesn't stop when I do though. It's as though it wants me to keep moving."

"Most babies in utero will fall asleep with movement," he said, walking back behind the counter. Olivia looked over at him, slightly surprised at his knowledge beyond pastry making. He smiled before explaining. "My older sister had her baby last year and she said that the time that the baby was most active was when she was going to bed. My nephew would then be quiet whenever she was moving around."

Olivia nodded. "That makes sense."

She straightened up in the chair.

"But that doesn't give a reason why the baby needs to use my back as a kicking bag."

Adam grinned as he set the dishes on the counter before walking back towards her. "Here, let me help."

Gently, he placed his hands on her shoulder blades and began to press into it. Olivia sighed, instantly feeling the relief.

"Better?"

"Much," she replied, leaning forward as he worked to knead the tightness out of her back. "Don't tell me. You did this for your sister too."

Adam chuckled. "No. I saw my brother in law doing this for my sister."

"You're going to have to teach my husband this," Olivia said, closing her eyes. "But first, we should get the rest of these dishes done so that we can go home."

Adam held his hand out to Olivia which she gratefully took to help pull herself up. He grabbed the dishes off the counter and followed Adam into the kitchen.

--------------

Batman packed the binoculars back onto his belt before slipping back into the shadows. He had to check on Olivia to ensure that she was doing all right. It had become a habit of his whenever she wasn't at home.

He reached for his grappler gun and fired it towards the opposite building and swooped down to the tumbler waiting below. When he sat down, he turned on the scanner, hearing the tail end of a robbery in progress at the Holland Rose Farm. The first thought that came to mind was Pamela Isley. Batman sped off through the streets towards the location.

------------

9:12pm

Holland Rose Farm

Murder.

Imprisonment.

Torture.

Those were the words that came to mind when Pamela looked upon the various flowers, not just roses that had been cut from their original bush or tree and placed into buckets. Dozens and dozens of flowers filled the large warehouse, ready to be shipped to their locations across the state. Four men walked through the warehouse around her, dumping gasoline on the place.

"This, should be outlawed," she announced, as she lightly touched the petals. "Such cruelty should not be tolerated. Unfortunately, you shall become a sacrifice for the greater good of our survival."

Pamela turned around, seeing two of her men had disappeared. The others pulled out the guns that were in their pockets.

"We have guests arriving," she said, as the sound of sirens grew increasingly louder. She looked over at the other two. "Get this done."

A second later, Batman dropped from the sky and landed on top of the two men, instantly rendering them unconscious.

Batman looked up at Pamela.

A small smile pulled at her lips.

"Nice to finally meet you," she said.

Batman could smell that intoxicating perfume once again, but he shook it off mentally.

"You killed the Mayor," Batman said flatly, as Pamela shrugged.

"A small loss in the fight for our survival."

"Your survival?"

"Me and the plants of this city," she said, walking towards him. "We're taking it back. You can help us."

"You're going to jail," he told her. weakly as she came closer.

"Really? And do you have the handcuffs?"

Batman was feeling the heat rise quickly inside his suit. He repeated a mantra of Olivia's name in his head, as he closed his eyes, but would quickly forget what he was saying when he would open them and see Pamela standing a few feet in front of him.

"Don't fight it," she said softly. She blew him a kiss and he felt her breath hit his face. He took a deep breath as the room suddenly began to spin. Batman backed up slightly at the uncomfortable feeling. "Not feeling so hot?"

Taking another deep breath, he reached for his grappler gun and shot it towards the ceiling before feeling it propel him to the top of the building where he had originally entered. Batman pulled himself onto the roof of the warehouse. He stood up, feeling the dizzy feeling as he jumped off the back of the building and landed in the alley. He quickly pushed himself off the ground and staggered down the alleys towards the tumbler. It felt like he had ran forever when he finally found the tumbler. He leaned against the black vehicle as the roof opened up and he literally tossed himself into it; closing the roof behind him. Batman straightened himself in the seat and reached forward to contact Alfred. He closed his eyes as he pressed the button.

-------------

Olivia waved to Adam, thanking him for walking her to her car. She glanced over at him as he too, got into his car. She sighed, tired from the day as she turned on the car when her cell phone began to ring. Olivia reached into her purse and pulled it out.

"Hello?"

_Olivia, thank God I've gotten a hold of you_," Alfred said.

His voice made her heart skip a beat. He was concerned. Dozens of possible situations flooded her mind from David being in trouble to getting a phone call about her parents.

"Alfred, what is it?"

_"It's Master Bruce,_" he said. _"I've lost contact with him."_


	9. Chapter 9

_"It's Master Bruce,_" he said. _"I've lost contact with him."_

Olivia slammed on her breaks and pulled over to the side of the dirt road, making a plum of dust behind her.

"What do you mean, you lost contact?"

_"I have his location but he isn't responding to my voice. He hasn't moved from that position for nearly five minutes now."_

Olivia could feel her heart beating out of her chest. For Bruce to not move for five minutes was unusual and it might as well be an eternity. She anxiously ran a hand through her hair.

"Where is he?"

_"I'm sending you his location now,_" Alfred said. Olivia reached forward to the dashboard in the car and opened up the small console, seeing the GPS tracking system and the small green dot indicating Bruce's location and turned on the speaker system in the car as Alfred's voice filled the small space. _"I'll keep in contact with you the entire time."_

"Thank you, Alfred," she said, as she quickly turned her car around to drive back into the city.

Olivia followed the directions that the GPS told her to go. She didn't say a word. She was feeling sick to her stomach. Olivia couldn't help but go over the dozens of possible scenarios in her mind that would keep Bruce from answering Alfred. Most of them, she didn't like. She let out a deep sigh, trying to keep herself calm as well as to appease the nauseating feeling in her stomach.

_"Are you all right?"_

"I'm fine, Alfred," she replied.

_"You're nearly there."_

Alfred was right. Olivia turned a corner in the downtown area of Gotham and stopped by an alley as the GPS system announced that she had arrived at the Tumbler. The trouble was that she didn't see anything.

"Are you sure that this is the right place? This road is deserted."

_"According to the computer, he should be within fifty meters of that location."_

Olivia undid her seat belt and reached for her cell phone, once again putting Alfred's voice on it. She reached under her seat and pulled out a flashlight.

"I'm going to look around," she said, as she opened her door.

_"Do be careful,_" Alfred told her over the cell phone.

Olivia closed her car door and began to walk further down the road, seeing an alley up ahead. She quickened her step and looked down the dark alley, before shining her flashlight down it.

"I found him!" she exclaimed softly, over the phone when her beam of light reflected off the hard, black metal of the Tumbler. She jogged down the alley.

_"Is he all right?"_

Unfortunately, the Tumbler was on the other side of a large fenced gate. She put her hands up to the fence and shone the flashlight around the Tumbler.

"I don't see him. He's parked behind a chain link fence."

Olivia shook the gate, hoping to find that the lock was loose. She looked down at the ground, seeing that it sat nearly a foot and a half off the dirty concrete. It was obviously made to keep vehicles from driving down it and not so much to keep creatures out. She got down on her hands and knees and rolled onto her back. Olivia placed her hand on her stomach, not very impressed with the fact that she could barely make it through with her pregnant stomach. Once she made it through, she rolled to her side and pushed herself to her feet before quickly running towards the Tumbler. She shone her light across the keypad and quickly pressed it the appropriate code before the roof retracted. She let a sigh of relief when she saw Batman's form in the drivers seat. When she finally inhaled again, she covered her nose.

"Oh my god," she said in disgust at the strong, pungent aroma coming from the car. She waved her hand across her face, trying to rid herself of the horrible smell.

Suddenly, the recognition of what it was hit her. Pamela Isley. It was the same perfume.

"Oh my god," she said once again in fear, once she saw that Batman was unconscious.

Quickly, she ran to the other side and twisted into the passenger side before reaching towards the console and closed the rooftop, encasing them in a light glow from the on-board computer.

_"Olivia? Are you there?"_

She heard Alfred's voice fill the Tumbler, as she was busy pulling off Batman's gloves, eager to find his pulse under the Kevlar.

"Yes, I'm here."

_"How is he?"_

Finally she let out a sigh of relief. "He has a pulse. It's incredibly fast though."

Carefully, she pulled off his cowl, running her hands over his face in the dim lighting for any injuries. She reached down at her feet for her fallen flashlight and shone it across his face. "I think he's unconscious. I don't know why though. He doesn't have any bumps on his head and I don't think he's bleeding anywhere."

_"I'll be able to assess any injuries. You're going to have to bring him home_."

"I can't carry him to the car!"

_"You already have him in a car. Don't worry about yours. We can pick it up later."_

She nodded confidently before reaching for the passenger side wheel inside the Tumbler.

Olivia had never driven the Tumbler before but decided it couldn't be too difficult. She let out a shaky breath as she heard the engine come to life. Cautiously, she placed one hand on the passenger side wheel and her other hand on the accelerator. The car lurched forward and she quickly loosened her grip on the accelerator. She struggled for the first little while to handle the steering, but before long she was maneuvering it easily down the road and through the city.

She glanced over at Bruce when she heard him moan as she turned a corner and his head fell against the side of the Tumbler. He began to mumble words that were incoherent to Olivia.

"Bruce? Bruce!!! Wake up!!!"

His head twitched at the sound of her voice. His eyes were still closed as he continued to sweat profusely. He continued to mumble. She reached over to pull his head back upright into the seat. She looked back out the front window just as she hit a parking meter. She quickly swerved and took out a side mirror from a parked car before straightening herself back out on the road.

"Sorry," she said softly just as she heard the sound of sirens behind her. Olivia looked down at the screen on the console, seeing a police cruiser following her. When she looked back up, she yelled when she saw another cruiser suddenly appear in front of her, blocking the path. Quickly, she slammed on the break, bringing the Tumbler to a complete stop. She watched as the police officer slowly stepped out of his car, with his hand on his holster. He walked towards the tumbler.

Olivia didn't know what to do.

She looked over at Bruce when she noticed that he was twitching once again. Olivia reached over to feel his forehead for a possibly fever. As soon as her hand touched his skin, he jumped and his eyes opened. He was fidgety and nervous; two qualities that she had never seen in Bruce before. He looked around the inside of the Tumbler and relaxed slightly when he saw Olivia.

"Who are you?"

Olivia was just as confused as Bruce. What kind of question was that?

"Olivia," she said quickly, momentarily forgetting about Bruce and looking back at the policemen around them.

_"I would suggest that you get out of there, madam_," Alfred said, his voice filling up the small confines of the Tumbler. Bruce suddenly looked up and around for the voice that was unfamiliar to him.

Olivia looked straight ahead at the empty cruiser and revved the engine. Taking a deep breath, she pulled on the accelerator and cringed as she felt the tank-like vehicle crush the small cruiser beneath it. She let out a sigh once they were again on the road.

"Who are you? Where are we going?"

Olivia glanced over at Bruce for a moment before turning back at the road. She felt her mouth go dry at the thought that he had no idea who she was.

"I'm Olivia, your wife and I'm taking you home," she replied softly.

He leaned over, his head in his hands. When he sat back up, he shook his head.

"No," he said sternly. "You're not my wife. I don't know who you are. I don't know any Olivia's. I want you to bring me back to Pamela."

"I can't do that, Bruce," she told him, fearful for what Dr. Isley had done to him. She was grateful when she saw that they were nearing Wayne Manor.

_"Open the front gate, Alfred."_

_"Olivia, I don't think it's a wise idea to drive the Tumbler right up to the front door."_

"I don't have time to take the scenic route. Open it, please! I'll be there in a minute."

_"Right away."_

Olivia glanced over at Bruce, noticing that his eyes were partially open.

"Bruce, can you hear me?"

He didn't make any movement, but spoke softly.

"Pamela?"

"No Bruce. I told you already. I'm Olivia."

Slowly he turned to look at her, a drunken stupor on his face. "I don't know who you are. Where's Pamela?"

She looked ahead of her at the open gates at the entrance to Wayne Manor and drove through them. She glanced back at Bruce as he once again passed out, mumbling Pamela Isley's name as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Olivia drove the Tumbler past the front door and around to the back of the house, turning it off when she was a few meters from the back door. She opened the roof just as Alfred walked out the door.

"How is he?" Alfred asked, running around to the other side of the Tumbler.

"I don't know," Olivia said, leaning over him. "He has no idea who I am. He was talking a few minutes ago, mumbling about Pamela Isley and then he passed out again."

"Let's get him inside," Alfred said.

---------------

Wayne Manor

10:30pm

Olivia wrung the water out of the washcloth once again before wiping the warm sweat from Bruce's brow as he drifted in and out of a fitful sleep. They had finally managed to half drag and half walk him to the bedroom. David ran into the room with another small stack of washcloths and handed them to Olivia.

"Is he going to be all right?" David asked, looking down at Bruce.

Olivia managed a smile.

"I hope so." She watched as David looked at Bruce was a solemn expression. "Why don't you go to bed? Hm? I'll wake you when he's up."

David nodded before walking out of the room. At the same time, Alfred came walking into the darkened room with Lucius Fox at his side.

"I called Mr. Fox in hopes that he could help," Alfred said, as Lucius walked towards where Olivia sat beside the bed, next to Bruce.

"How long has he been like this?" Lucius asked, reaching down to feel Bruce's head for a fever.

"I found him like this about an hour or so ago," she replied. "He hasn't said anything since the ride home. Even then, he didn't say much. He was very insistent that we turn around and go find Pamela Isley. He was confused. He didn't know me or where he was."

"Isley? Dr. Isley?"

"Yes, I think it was she that he ran into this evening," Olivia said. "The car was drenched with her nasty perfume."

Lucius processed what Olivia had told him.

"The perfume! It has to be it," Lucius said.

"Has to be what?"

"Mr. Wayne was like this before," Lucius said. "These are similar symptoms. He's confused, delirious and nervous."

"That's right," Alfred added. "When he was poisoned five years ago by Dr. Crane."

"Dr. Isley was working on the a project involving the same plant," Lucius said. "How much are you willing to bet that her perfume that she has been wearing is a product of that same flower?" Lucius looked down at Bruce as he moaned in his sleep. "The inoculation he received five years ago obviously isn't having any effect. I'm going to go to Wayne Tower and see if I can get something together for Mr. Wayne. I'll return as soon as I can."

Olivia nodded as Lucius walked out of the room with Alfred beside him.

She looked down at Bruce as his head twitched every so often and he moaned. Olivia laid the washcloth on the night table beside the bowl of water and laid down. She rested right next to Bruce, feeling comforted by his presence. Olivia reached over his chest and laid her hand on him like she always did when they would sleep side by side and she closed her eyes for a brief moment.

--------------

Tuesday, September 24th

1:32am

Olivia gasped. She couldn't breath, she couldn't scream.

She opened her eyes, seeing the eyes that must put fear into every criminal in Gotham. But those were the same eyes that would tell her that he loved her and now she couldn't breathe. Olivia scratched at Bruce's hands as he held his hands against her throat. Desperately, she reached over to the side table, hoping to find something, anything to hit him with.

"What did you do with her?" Bruce growled. "You brought me here and you're keeping me away from Pamela!"

She moved her mouth, trying to speak. Olivia managed to grab the cord of the side table lamp and pulled it, bringing the lamp to the floor and shattering it.

"Where is she!?" Bruce exclaimed.

Olivia was beginning to feel light headed.

"Oh my God, Olivia!"

She looked up at Bruce, watching as his eye lids slowly closed and instead of his weight falling onto her, he was pushed aside as the pressure on her throat was drastically released. Olivia coughed like she had never had before. She quickly sat up on the bed, trying to catch her breath when she felt an arm around her waist and a hand to her wrist, feeling for her pulse. Alfred was next to her.

"Relax," Alfred's calming voice said. "Breath slowly."

As she did, Olivia put her hand to her throat and looked over at Bruce as he laid unconscious on the bed with Lucius beside him, administering another drug.

"He'll be fine," Mr. Fox said, feeling her eyes on him and hearing her unspoken concern. "He's been sedated and I've given him an inoculation against whatever he has inhaled. He should come around in the next few hours, but you, should go see a doctor."

Olivia shook her head.

"No," she said. "There would be too many questions. I'll be fine."

A small smile emerged on Lucius' face.

"I thought so," he said. "So, I brought this along to check on the baby. You were without oxygen for a short time."

He pulled out a fetal Doppler and with a nod of Olivia's head, he placed it on her stomach until the gentle sound of a heartbeat could be heard.

"One sixty beats per minute," Lucius said, looking at the monitor with a smile. "Sounds like everything is okay."

"What's going on? Is Dad awake?"

Olivia, Alfred and Lucius looked over to see David standing in the doorway.

"I thought I heard his voice," he added.

"You did," Alfred stated, standing up. "And he's back asleep, which is where you should be. I'll be bringing you to school in the morning so you had better get back to bed."

Alfred walked out of the room, ushering David out with him.

Olivia stood up and sighed as she looked at Bruce, laying still on the bed.

"He didn't know who I was," she said softly.

Lucius walked over to her.

"He was drugged, Mrs. Wayne. He wasn't himself. He'll be back to himself in no time."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "What if there are any lasting effects? He's been around Dr. Isley before but he's never gotten to the point where he couldn't remember who I was or where he was."

"Like any overdose, the person experiences severe symptoms," Lucius told her. "It's a good thing that you got to him when you did. He wouldn't have lasted much longer."

Lucius placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I need to get back home," he said. "If you need anything else, please call."

Olivia nodded as Lucius left the room.

------------------

9:47am

The light feathery touch on his arm made his eyes slowly open. Bruce glanced down at his arm, seeing a small hand brushing up and down the length of his arm as it laid beside him. Bruce looked up to see Olivia sitting in a chair beside him. She smiled.

"Hi."

Bruce sighed and smiled. "Hi. How long was I out for?"

"Since one in the morning or so," she said. "You've been home since ten o'clock though."

He frowned and shook his head. "I don't remember coming home."

Olivia smiled weakly.

"I drove you home when Alfred couldn't contact you."

"You? You drove me home? Olivia, you know how dangerous that is."

She shook her head.

"We didn't know what happened to you and you would be dead now if I hadn't," she told him, as she reached over to the side table where a glass of water sat. She handed it to him.

Bruce sat up and took the glass.

"Mr. Fox came by early this morning with an antidote. It turns out that the perfume that Dr. Isley wears is a relative of the same plant that Dr. Crane uses," she explained. "So, he was able to come up with a antidote for it rather quickly."

Bruce took a drink and sighed. "I don't remember anything from last night."

"It's probably best that you don't," she said, as she stood up and walked towards the curtains to open them.

"Why? Did something happen?"

Olivia paused before tugging them open and grinned.

"No, nothing."

She heard Bruce sigh as the morning light flooded into the room.

"You're a horrible lier."

Olivia chuckled, turned around and shrugged.

"Remind me never to play poker against you then," she quipped as his eyes widened and he quickly sat up at the sight of the red marks on her neck.

"Olivia! What the hell happened to you?"

She watched as he stood up and she quickly rushed to his side when she saw his balance waver slightly. Olivia wrapped an arm around his waist, helping him to gather his strength before taking any steps.

"You were sedated," she said. "And I think you got a pretty good dose of it too, so you might want to take it easy for a while."

"Sedated? Olivia, what happened?"

He turned and sat down on the bed when he saw her face.

"It was an accident, Bruce," she said. "You didn't know who I was. It must not have been that bad because it's already fading."

His face turned into complete disgust.

"I hurt you?" His hand reached out and he gently touched her stomach. "I could have..."

Olivia knelt down in front of him. "But you didn't," she said. "I'm fine, you're fine and most importantly, the baby is fine. All that matters now is that you get better quickly so that you can kick Isley's ass and give her one for me."

Although still feeling horrible, both physically and mentally, he grinned. Olivia leaned in and kissed Bruce's lips. She felt his hands in her hair when he suddenly broke the kiss.

"Wait a minute," he said. "You drove the Tumbler?"

"And she did a wonderful job at it," Alfred interjected as he stood at the door, holding a tray of food. "It's parked in the rear of the yard at the moment. I took the liberty to prepare some breakfast. If I recall, you haven't eaten anything since you've been home and that little one inside you must be hungry."

Olivia grinned as she sat up, smelling the wonderful toast and fruit that Alfred had brought into the room.

"I took Master David to school about an hour ago or so," he said. "So you two can relax for the morning."

Bruce looked up at Alfred, suddenly remembering something when he mentioned David. He turned to Olivia.

"I need to show you something."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N - Okay, I'm not going to complain, but I find it funny to have so many author alerts, fav. story alerts, and story alerts from people and just have a handful of reviews. I'm really honoured to know that people want to know when another chapter is published, but then why not leave a little something to give me the kick in the pants to get the chapters out sooner? You know, a little motivation and support can go a long way. :) I love hearing comments about what people are thinking...especially when I think the chapter wasn't the greatest...you know? Sometimes, we're our worst critic and to hear a comment from outside of the brain is always welcome.

----------

Tuesday, September 24th

9:15am

David pulled his school bag higher onto his back before he adjusted his cap as he stepped off the train and onto the platform. The last thing he wanted was to be recognized by someone who knew him or his parents. He felt bad enough for skipping school once again. He had waited until Alfred had dropped him off and disappeared down the road before jogging down the street to the nearest payphone to call in his absence to the school. David had gotten pretty good at mimicking Alfred's English accent. He had lost track of how many times he had missed school. A part of himself felt awful for keeping up with the charade but he knew that he was already in too far.

He kept his eyes on the ground as he quickly walked down the stairs to the street level, while passing a few men dressed in business suits while others were probably wearing the only clothing they owned. David had gone down this route many times now and would purposely avoided the busier streets.

He stopped at the chain link fence and looked at the dozens upon dozens of empty metal shipping crates that filled the large property. Some were stacked nearly twelve feet high. David pulled his backpack off his back and squeezed between the chain locked gate. He memorized the path he would take through the labyrinth of crates. Occasionally, a mouse or small rat would scurry between the aisles to the next series of crates, causing David to stop and gasp at the sudden movement. He was glad that it was daytime. He was sure that the night would only increase his imagination of what could be hiding within the crates. David paused at a junction and turned to the right, purposely avoiding to look at the Wayne Industries logo on one of the crates that he passed. He knew that his parents would probably ground him for the rest of his young life if they knew where he was going to when they thought that he was at school for the past 3 weeks.

Finally, he came up to one of the many deserted warehouses that sat on the property.

David knocked loudly on the door. After a few moments, he heard it unlock from the inside and then open up, as a tall Oriental man looked out. His face softened when he saw David and he backed up, allowing him to enter.

"He's been waiting for you," the man said.

David quickly walked in. The man glanced around the area before closing the door behind them.

------------------

Cave

9:58am

Bruce held out his hand to Olivia after the lift hit the rock bottom floor. The sound of the distant waterfall echoed throughout the cave along with the occasional shriek of a bat. He held onto her hand to ensure that she didn't slip on the damp floor.

"I wanted to show you something," he said, walking over to a metal drawer beside the table where Bruce would work on alterations to his weapons or armour. "That night when I found David; after he was attacked, I chased down the man who was after him." Bruce pulled out the small bag out of the drawer. "And he had this on him. I think he took it off one of the boys."

Olivia held out her hand as Bruce handed it to her. She noticed the light powdery substance.

"Drugs?"

"A special kind that I recognized," he said with a nod. "I smelled a light scent of it on David the night that he came home late smelling like cigarette smoke."

Olivia face turned from confusion to concern.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you. I had to be sure," he said. "It's the same drugs that were used in the attack against Gotham a few years ago."

"I can't believe that David would actually be involved with drugs. Where would he get them?"

Bruce shook his head. "I don't know. He's been lying to me quite a bit lately that it makes me wonder."

"So, if the League of Shadows is back in Gotham, what could they want now?"

"I don't know. But I don't think they ever left," Bruce said. "When Ra's Al Ghul died, they were left without a leader. The members that were in the city probably went back to being citizens until they were called on once again and I think that time has come. What worries me is that Dr. Isley's perfume is made from the same flower."

Olivia sighed as she unconsciously ran her hand over her stomach.

"Could she be their new leader?"

Bruce shook his head as he took the small bag from Olivia.

"Only members of the League of Shadows can assume that role," he said. "But it is quite possible that she's working with them. They worked with Dr. Crane before. They'll work with whomever will help accomplish their mission."

Olivia pulled out the chair in front of the computers and sat down.

"Then, where could she be hiding?"

Bruce shrugged as he reached over Olivia's shoulder to press a button on the computer, bringing up his most recent image of Pamela Isley. She no longer looked like the innocent and mild-mannered doctor whom they had met 3.5 years earlier.

"I've looked everywhere where I'd assume she'd be," he said, resting his hands on Olivia's shoulders. "And I've come up with nothing."

Olivia looked up at Bruce as he stood behind her.

"Maybe we should bring her to you."

"We?"

--------------------------

Thursday, October 3rd

Gotham Grand Hotel and Restaurant

8:22pm

"We should have done this a long time ago," Bruce said, reaching for his wine glass. "It's been a while since I've taken you out to eat."

"Just say it Bruce," Olivia said with a smile as she took her napkin off her lap and placed it on the table. "You have missed seeing your mug in the newspaper."

He chuckled as he filled his wine glass to the top and leaned forward. His smile faded as he sighed.

"After tonight, I'm certain that I'll quickly get annoyed with seeing it. I'm glad that we ordered the white wine though. Red wine stains are terrible."

Olivia grinned as she sat back in her seat, resting her hands on her stomach. "I really hate doing this though."

Bruce sighed. "So do I, but it'll probably work. She seems to have an interest in me for some reason."

Olivia couldn't help but grin, but quickly wiped it off. "I seriously don''t know why. You're just the most handsome, brilliant, egotistical man I've ever met!"

The smile on Bruce's face faded as she finished her statement.

"Really?"

"Really."

"I can't believe I married you," he exclaimed. "You're a beautiful, thoughtful and arrogant woman."

Bruce smiled smugly at her, watching as she placed a mask of anger on her face.

"How dare you, Bruce Wayne!"

Her outburst silenced most of the other patrons and wait staff around them in the lavish restaurant. Without a second thought, Olivia reached forward for Bruce's wine glass and splashed the cold liquid into his face. Several gasps were heard around them as Olivia stood up and walked towards the exit of the restaurant and into the hotel lobby. Bruce looked around him, seeing the dozens of pairs of eyes quickly look away. He pulled out a few fifty dollar bills and tossed them on the table before standing up and quickly making his way to the door.

There she was, waiting for the next act as she stood by the hotel doors while fishing through her purse.

His appearance in the hotel lobby; his face and dress shirt wet from the wine, caught more than a few people by surprise.

"Olivia, we need to talk about this," he said softly, yet loud enough for everyone to hear.

"There's nothing to talk about," she replied. "You need your space. I get that. I just wished you would've told me that before you knocked me up for the second time!"

The door man opened the door for Olivia as Bruce called for the valet to get his car. Flashes from various photographers reflected off of them as they continued their conversation.

"This was a mistake!" Bruce exclaimed.

Olivia stopped on the spot.

"Are you talking about our baby?"

"No, we are the mistake. I should never have married someone like you."

Before he had a chance to say another thing, Olivia slapped him. Olivia's own action surprised herself and certainly caught Bruce off guard. It wasn't part of the act. He quickly put his hand to his cheek, feeling the heat from the sting. She hide her own shock and didn't say another word. Instead, she quickly turned on her heel and walked towards the curb. She ripped the keys from the valet's hand before Bruce had a chance to get them.

"Sorry Bruce, but you'll have to find your own way home," she said bitterly, as she climbed into the Jaguar. "And don't be surprised if I'm not there."

She slammed the door. Bruce stood back as she turned on the ignition and pulled away from the curb. He sighed and turned back towards the restaurant as various flashes of light erupted around him followed by questions regarding his relationship. It was no use concealing what was going on. Everyone had seen the argument and the reporters were eager to hear more about it. Bruce held up his hand to them as he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket just as it rang. He walked back into the hotel and stood off to the side of the lobby where no one could overhear.

"Bruce, I'm so, so sorry about slapping you," Olivia told him as soon as he opened the phone. He could hear the roar of the Jaguar in the background. Bruce tried to hide his amusement at Olivia's impromptu action.

"It's fine," he said softly, turning his face away from anyone who would see. "It's not as bad as it sounded. I've felt worse."

She chuckled lightly.

"You did great," he added.

"Thank you," she replied. "You were pretty good yourself. Did everyone see it?"

Bruce glanced over his shoulder through the window at the dozens of reporters outside of the hotel.

"Oh yeah. Be sure to catch it tonight on the evening news."

Bruce looked back out of the hotel windows, seeing the familiar Mercedes pull up along the curb.

"Alfred's right on time," Bruce said. "He'll be glad to know that we decided to order white wine. I think we should go for red next time, just for him."

Olivia giggled.

"I might be a little late," she said. "I'm being followed by a few reporters. I'm going to go to the penthouse for the night and then I'll come home tomorrow or Saturday."

"Good idea. I'll see you later then. I love you."

"I love you too, Bruce."

------------

Wayne Penthouse

11:32pm

Olivia dug into the ice cream as she rested the carton on her pregnant stomach. In the other hand, she held the channel changer, switching the stations while she rested her feet up on the coffee table. Finally, she stopped when she saw the headline across the bottom of the screen: "Bruce and Olivia Wayne - On their way to divorce?" Various photo's of the two of them in a heated argument with Bruce standing in front of Olivia, drenched with wine gave enough clues to the media that things were not going well between the couple. They all speculated about when they'd file for separation, who would get custody of the kids, how much each would receive and whether or not they had signed a prenuptial agreement.

Olivia smiled, satisfied that the media had picked up on the planned dramatic evening for the couple. Taking one final spoonful of the ice cream, she reached for the lid and covered it before turning off the television, instantly blanketing the room in darkness. The light from the nearby buildings and the moonlight was enough to light her way across the vast penthouse to the kitchen. She opened the freezer and shoved the half eaten carton into it. Olivia then turned and walked down the hallway, turning off the lights as she went. When she reached the bedroom, she pushed the many pillows off the bed and climbed in between the soft sheets. After taking a good few minutes to get comfortable, she closed her eyes. No sooner had she begun to drift off did she hear a light tapping against the balcony door. Her eyes quickly opened. The sound startled her at first until she realized where it was coming from. A smile came to her face when she pushed herself out of bed and made her way to the balcony door. Olivia parted the curtain and saw the Dark Knight with a smile on his face on the other side of the glass. She unlocked the door and pushed it open as the cold breeze of early October swept into the room and onto her skin. She felt herself shiver from the cold as Batman walked into the room. She closed the door behind him.

"I'm not used to letting strange men into my room at night," she quipped, locking the door and pulling the curtains closed once again before turning to face him.

He quickly stepped forward, connecting his mouth with hers. Olivia gasped with surprise but quickly recovered and wrapped her arms around his neck. Slowly, he broke the kiss, licking his lips.

"What is that? Chocolate?"

Olivia shrugged coyly, her arms still around his neck.

"Baby was hungry for ice cream," she said, grinning. "I wasn't about to refuse."

Olivia watched a smile form on Batman's mouth before he crashed his lips onto hers once again. He kissed her, hungrily and passionately. There was always something more attractive than he already was when he would kiss her with such passion. It was as though no one else mattered in the world but her. Batman needed her as much as she needed him. She could feel his gloved hands running their way along her body, as he breathed deeply as though he was trying to take everything in at once. The next thing she knew, he had picked her up and was quickly walking over with her towards the bed. Gently, Batman laid Olivia onto the bed, not willing to stop kissing her.

Olivia ran her hands along Batman's chest and then up to his neck before she finally broke the kiss by pushing him away.

"Ugh! Bruce!" she exclaimed with a laugh. Batman looked down at her confused. "Take this damn thing off!"

Batman chuckled slightly, stood back up and smiled, before reaching behind his neck and pulled the cowl over his head.

"Better?"

Olivia sat up, nodding. "Much. It's nice to know what my husband looks like once in a while."

She saw the red slap mark almost burned into his right cheek. He seemed to notice.

"Our little drama session tonight made it on the news," she said, sitting up as Bruce continued to remove the many pieces of armour and placed them on the chair. "Did you have any luck tonight?"

"I ran into a mugging and a petty robbery but nothing beyond that," he replied. "It may be too soon to be on the lookout if it's just made it to the news now. It'll be in the newspapers tomorrow so we'll see what happens then."

Olivia watched as he continued to take off the armour. "Alfred knows that you aren't coming home?"

"No," he replied. "This is just a detour for me tonight. I need to be out of here in a few hours."

He walked back towards her and climbed into the bed next to where Olivia sat. Olivia slowly laid back beside him but suddenly gasped, causing Bruce to sit up.

"What is it?"

She smiled and shook her head, before pressing on her stomach against the hard spot just beneath her ribs.

"Uh, nothing," she replied. "It's just your child trying to settle in for the night under my ribcage."

Bruce reached out and placed his hand just below Olivia's. He smiled broadly as he felt the movement under his hand like the rolling of a wave.

"Did you feel that?"

"Sure did."

Bruce looked back up at Olivia and touched her cheek before running his hand into her hair. He leaned forward and kissed her, bringing her down with him onto the bed.

---------------

Friday, October 4th

1:42am

Pamela stood on the rooftop, binoculars in hand.

Along with the rest of Gotham, she had seen the news. She needed to see it for herself though. She had heard that Mrs. Wayne had made her way to their penthouse apartment, but she now needed verification before she could move on with her plan.

She gazed through the binoculars at the building from where she stood a kilometer away and watched. The lights were out, but she had seen some lights turn on and off about an hour earlier. So now she waited.

When she suddenly saw a balcony door open, she turned her full attention to that spot. She watched with surprised curiosity as Mrs. Wayne and Batman stepped out onto the balcony and then climbed up on the ledge. Pamela reached down into her bag and pulled out her camera, snapping a few pictures. Batman turned and kissed Mrs. Wayne on the hand before jumping off the ledge and gliding off into the darkness of the city.

"That little cheater," she fumed, softly.

She felt bad for Bruce Wayne, knowing that his wife was most likely cheating on him with none other than the Dark Knight.

"How dare she do that to him!"

Pamela looked down at the camera in her hand and smiled.

-------------

Saturday October 5th

8:34am

Wayne Penthouse

Olivia heard the front door open from where she stood in the bedroom and quickly walked out, smelling the fresh aroma of coffee quickly fill the large penthouse. It was her ride back to Wayne Manor. She was eager to come home since the reporters outside the building have all but disappeared. She smiled when she saw Alfred walk into the kitchen.

"Where's David? I thought he was coming with you."

Alfred turned at Olivia's voice and smiled.

"Master Wayne requested that I drop him off at a friends house," he said. "Apparently he has a project due on Monday."

Olivia sighed. She hadn't seen much of David lately but was glad to know that he was taking his studies seriously.

"How is Bruce?"

"Doing well. He's working at the office today until noon," Alfred said, setting the cups of coffee on the table. "He sends his regards and hopes to catch you at home later today. But first, I'm going to get you some breakfast."

Alfred turned to begin pulling dishes and pots from the cupboards as Olivia sat down on the bar stool.

"I brought the newspaper along for you," he said, as Olivia noticed it on the counter. "I haven't even opened it yet."

Olivia smiled as she unfolded it to the first page. She gasped when she turned the page, causing Alfred to quickly turn around. He saw Olivia with her hand to her mouth and her face turn pale. In two steps he stood across from her, reading the headline and seeing the image for himself.

"Oh my word," he said as Olivia quickly pushed out the chair and ran to the bathroom, instantly feeling sick to her stomach.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N - Thank you for all the reviews, critiques and suggestions. You're right. I don't have a beta and I write this in small increments throughout my day. Although I do read it over before submitting it, I'm bound to miss something. I had hoped to have this one out sooner, but some life circumstances has caused the delay...oops, it happens! Anyways, on with the story.

-----------------

Saturday, October 5th

Wayne Tower

9:10am

Bruce groaned inwardly when he saw the mass of reporters waiting around outside the building doors. He knew exactly why they were there. He had read the newspaper and seen the television report, both featuring a sketchy photo of his wife holding the hand of the Dark Knight on the balcony of their penthouse apartment. Rumours were flying, about what was going on and since Olivia had locked herself up in the penthouse, the media came to him, hoping to get a little piece of his side of the story.

Bruce had been kicking himself verbally all morning. He was angry with himself for becoming so sloppy and for bringing Olivia into this mess. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the doors open and walked into the morning sunshine and the bright lights of the cameras.

"Mr. Wayne! Can we have a statement, please?"

"What is the nature of your wife's relationship with the vigilante?"

"Does this further solidify a possible separation between you and your wife?"

Bruce pushed his way through the crowd, towards where Alfred had pulled up the car alongside the curb.

"What about the baby? Is there a chance that the baby isn't yours and instead is the child of Batman?"

Bruce paused, slightly surprised that a reporter would even have the audacity ask that type of question. By the hushed sound of the other people around him, he suspected that they too, were shocked. Nonetheless, they outstretched their microphones and recording devices, eager to hear his response. Bruce turned, not certain who had asked the question. He paused for a second, recognizing the smell around him. Pamela. He couldn't see her anywhere. After a moment, he mentally shook it off to answer.

"It's not a lie that my wife and I are having marital problems, but to ask whether the child my wife is carrying isn't mine, is inappropriate and over the line," he stated. "As for her relationship with Batman, that is something that I'd discuss with my wife and not with the society of Gotham."

Bruce turned to continue walking towards the car as the media once again continued the questioning. He was grateful to see that Alfred already had the door open for him and the moment that he disappeared into it, the door shut. Bruce waited until they pulled away from the curb before speaking.

"How is she?"

Alfred kept his eyes on the busy road, but still answered.

"She was still in the bathroom when I left," he replied. "She refused to open the door and I was concerned when she wouldn't even answer me. I didn't know what else to do but to call you."

Bruce nodded.

"That's fine, Alfred. I figured that it would be a short day when I saw the newspaper on my desk this morning."

Bruce looked over his shoulder at the crowd they left behind. "There's a bigger problem. Pamela Isley was back there."

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Dr. Isley," he repeated. "She was in the crowd of photographers. I smelled the perfume. I can't be certain but I think she may be behind this."

-------------

Wayne Penthouse

9:23am

The door had barely opened when Bruce stepped through it, with Alfred right behind him. Bruce glanced around the large room and began checking the rooms, not seeing Olivia anywhere.

"Olivia?"

The phone rang, catching Alfred's attention.

"That had better not be another interview request for you or your wife," he said grimly, as he walked in different direction. "It would be the sixth one so far today and I'm beginning to run out of ways of politely saying, not interested."

Bruce could hear the television coming from their bedroom. He rounded the corner and stopped, absorbing the scene in front of him. Olivia was reclined on the bed, sniffing as she watched Mike Engel on GCN doing a telephone interview with a caller. The bed was littered with used tissues and he watched as she ate spoonfuls of ice cream in between a tearful sarcastic laugh at the caller's comments. They called her things such as tramp, slut, gold digger and other words that Mike Engel had to have censored out. The comments and to hear them refer to his wife in this way, angered Bruce. Olivia glanced over towards the door, seeing him standing there.

"They're saying that this baby may not even be yours and instead, it's Batman's," she cried, with her mouth full of ice cream. "How ridiculous is that? Huh?"

Bruce shook his head as he walked over towards the bed and sat down next to her.

"But, I am Batman."

She pointed to the television as Bruce lifted his feet up and laid down beside her.

"They don't know that. They're making me come across like some sort of tramp who's having a love affair with Batman. They have had call-ins all morning with people who are angry with me for sleeping with the devil when I have a handsome husband at home. They're being sympathetic to you. The crazy part is that the only photo they have, is of me and Batman on the balcony. How the hell did someone even get a picture like that?"

Olivia spooned another scoop of ice cream into her mouth as Bruce gently took the carton away and placed it on the bed side table. Bruce put his arm around Olivia, feeling her head rest under his chin.

"This is my fault," he said, softly. "I shouldn't have stopped by the other night. I never thought that someone would ever be able to get a decent picture from this height. I'm sorry, Olivia."

He listened to her sniff softly as she rubbed her nose against his shirt. Bruce smiled inwardly.

"Look at me," she said, sitting up. "I must sound pathetic. I must look horrible. I mean, who acts like this?"

"Olivia, you're pregnant and your hormones are wreaking havoc on your emotions," he assured her, looking up at the television as it repeated the grainy photo on the screen. He pointed up to the television. "This, should be the least of your concern. We'll just wait this out."

"You're not going to do anything?" she asked.

"What can I do? If I go calling all the newspapers in the city, with threats to sue if they don't pull the edition, it would raise a lot of questions and suspicion. In a weeks time, it'll be old news."

"So, what do we do?"

He sighed audibly.

"Someone got the photo, so we'll play it out like Batman came in to visit for a cup of coffee, instead of denying the event all together," he said.

"Are you serious? Coffee?"

Bruce shrugged as Olivia chuckled.

"He has saved you in the past," Bruce said, as Olivia nodded.

"You're right. He brought me to the hospital when I was in pre-term labour."

Bruce grinned and nodded.

"He could have just been checking it to see how you were doing," Bruce suggested.

"That's right," Olivia said. "He is quite overprotective when it comes to pregnant women."

"Especially when one of them is his wife," Bruce said, leaning in to kiss her. Olivia hooked her arm around his neck, pulling him closer. Bruce brushed his fingers through her hair just as the sound of someone clearing their throat caught his attention. Bruce broke the kiss and turned to see Alfred at the door.

"Excuse me sir, madam, but there is a phone call for you, Olivia," Alfred said. "It's your parents."

-------------------

Bruce watched from where he sat on the edge of the couch, as his wife paced the floor in front of the large floor to ceiling windows. The phone was on her ear and each time she would pass by Bruce, she would roll her eyes and make the gesture with her hand as someone who as talking too much.

"No, Mom. Everything is fine. You can't believe half of what you read these days." There was a pause. "Yes, that was Batman. He was in the area and came to check on me." Another pause. "Over an hour? Pff! Whoever got that information needs a new watch. He was at the penthouse for less than five minutes." Olivia sighed. "No, you guys don't need to come visit. Yeah, David probably misses you but...."

Olivia sat down on the couch.

"Yes, I'm feeling fine still. Bruce is taking care of me."

She looked up at him when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"When will you be coming in?" She paused again, listening to the answer. "No, Mom. You guys don't have to be here when the baby is born. Knowing me, I'll probably be out of it from the meds anyways that I wont even remember you being there."

Olivia chuckled.

"Visiting for two weeks is good enough."

Olivia looked up at Bruce as he mouthed back, 'two weeks?' She nudged him playfully and shrugged.

"Yeah, then you'll be able to come to the baby shower that Jill is throwing for me. It'll be good times." Olivia paused to listen. "All right. Say hi to Dad for me too. I love you too. Good bye."

Olivia let out a sigh after she hung up. She looked up at Bruce.

"My parents are coming for a visit next month. I think they need the reassurance that nothing major is going on between us," Olivia said. "Dad reads into the news too much and gets Mom all worked up over the stories that she'll think that it's true."

Bruce nodded.

"I'm sure David will enjoy seeing them," he said.

"I'll have to call up a hotel soon. With Christmas parties, it's sure to get full quickly," Olivia said.

"Why not have them stay at Wayne Manor? We certainly have the room."

Olivia reached up to feel Bruce's forehead, to check for any indication for why he'd suggest it. "Do you know what you're saying?"

Bruce chuckled.

"Olivia, it's your parents. It's no big deal."

"A lot happens around the Manor. Are you sure this is okay?"

"It'll be fine."

-----------------------------

Thursday, October 10th

10:25am

David sat on the floor, watching the men dressed in black practice. He found it amazing that someone could move so quickly. He wasn't completely paying attention to the men. David could hear a soft conversation going on behind him.

"Do you think he could do it?"

"He's not ready yet. Give me more time."

"Damn it, Ducard. You said that last week. With what has been going on between the Wayne's, we need someone on the inside and we need it now."

"He wont do it. He's still too devoted and dependent on his parents. I can see it in his eyes."

"When then?"

"You keep working on your little project, Dr. Isley and I'll work on mine."

David heard the woman scoff followed by footsteps approaching him from behind. He glanced up just as Ducard crouched down beside him.

"I want to be able to do that," David said, gesturing towards the men in front of him.

"You will," Ducard said. "You just need more practice. You've already learned so much since I met you."

David sighed and looked at the ground.

"I lied to my Dad again," David said. "I hate hiding and lying to him, especially when I know that he can tell when I'm not telling the truth."

Ducard grinned.

"Your father is a good judge of deception," he said. "He always has been. But you, my boy, will just need to be better and that takes practice."

Ducard tapped David on the shoulder and stood up. "Are you ready to begin today?"

David nodded and stood up, following Ducard further into the warehouse. Ducard looked over at the boy beside him. He couldn't help but smile. The boy was so similar to Bruce when he had found him years ago in the prison. Ducard reached over to a table as they passed by and grabbed an apple. He handed it to David.

"How are things with your parents? I heard that they were going through a rough time."

"You can't believe everything you read or hear."

"Can't I?" Ducard asked. "It's a shame about that picture with Batman and your mother making it into the media. Or should I say your parents."

David sighed as he glanced around. He knew Ducard was aware that Batman was Bruce Wayne, but he wasn't enjoying how he would remind him of that fact. He knew how important it was that no one would know his father's secret. His parents had taught him that.

"Your mother was looking radiant last time I saw her at the winery fashion show," Ducard said. "When is she due again?"

David thought for a moment. 'He was there?' He shook his head mentally.

"January," David replied before shoving another piece of apple into his mouth. Ducard nodded as he remembered.

"That's right. And are you excited about it? You're going to be a big brother."

David shrugged. "It's no big deal to me. To my Mom and Dad, they're really excited."

"It makes you wonder how you'll be treated after the baby is born," Ducard suggested. "You were the child that Bruce never thought he had and when he discovered he was a father, you and your Mother was the center of his world. But now, having a new baby in the house, changes everything."

David glanced over at him, allowing the suggestion to roll over him. Yet, even a half hour later, he was still thinking about it.

--------------------

Monday, October 28

6:34pm

Wayne Tower

Bruce was about to walk into his office that morning, when his assistant suddenly stood up at her desk to get his attention.

"Sir, your son's school is on line 2. They'd like to speak with you," she said.

"I'll take it in my office."

The assistant nodded as Bruce walked into the room. He closed the door and tossed his coat on his chair before picking up the phone and pressing the appropriate buttons.

"Bruce Wayne."

"_Good morning, Mr. Wayne. This is Principal Maxwell. How are you today?"_

"I'm fine," Bruce said, as he settled down in his chair. "And yourself?"

"_Very good, sir. I wanted to speak to you about David and his absences. Normally, we don't call..."_

"Wait," Bruce said, interrupting. "What absences?"

_"Your son has missed every class since the beginning of September and usually if a student misses more than 40 percent of the class time, he's required to repeat the semester," Mr. Maxwell explained. "We have received his notes and his call-ins from yourself, your wife and Mr. Pennyworth regarding his absences, but we're concerned about his education."_

Bruce was confused. He switched the phone to his other hand as he looked for a pen in his desk and a piece of paper.

"I understand that completely," Bruce said. "Can you tell me the first date that he was absent for?"

_"Certainly."_ There was a pause as the Principal looked through the records. _"September 5th was the last day that he was in school._"

Bruce nearly dropped his pen in shock, as he wrote the date down on the paper.

"I'll see what I can do about this," Bruce said. "Thank you for notifying me."

Bruce hung up the phone rather roughly. A moment later, he picked it up again and dialed.

---------------

2:37pm

Bruce sat in the parked Jaguar along the curb across the street from the school. He watched and waited for any signs of his son. Bruce knew that he was early, but he hoped that he could catch David's arrival if he was indeed skipping school. After a few minutes, he looked out the rear view mirror to see a boy walking on his side of the street. Bruce would recognize him anywhere. He watched as David kept his eyes on the pavement. When he was next to the car behind him, Bruce opened the door and stepped out.

"David!"

The boy stopped on the sidewalk and looked up, meeting the eyes of his father.

"Get in the car."

------------


	12. Chapter 12

A/N - Thanks for the reviews...you know they're always appreciated! This chapter may seem rushed in terms of the time that has passed. Let me know what you think.

-------------------

Monday, October 28th

2:45pm

David sat in silence as Bruce drove through the streets of Gotham. Bruce clenched his jaw as he roughly shifted the Jaguar through the gears. He swerved in and around the afternoon traffic. As angry and disappointed as he was, Bruce had to remind himself that the body that sat beside him was his own precious cargo.

"I just want to know one thing," he stated, harshly. "If haven't been in school, where have you been?"

David looked down at bag that sat at his feet.

"I can't say."

Bruce shifted the gears again, hard.

"You can't say? Or do you mean that you don't want to tell me?"

David looked out the window at the stunned drivers as they passed by them. He didn't know what to say.

"You had better answer me," Bruce said.

David wasn't certain if it was the voice of his father or that of Batman. Either way, it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He heard his father let out an aggravated sigh, followed by the car making a quick turn. The fast maneuver mixed with the momentum leaned David into the door. David grew increasingly apprehensive as they were quickly approaching Wayne manor.

The car skidded to a stop in front of the house.

Without a word, Bruce stepped out of the car and stood by the hood, waiting for David. David slowly climbed out of the car and pulled his backpack on. As soon as David was about to walk past him, Bruce grabbed hold of David's bag at the back of his neck and pulled him into the house. David's protests were heard throughout the house and caught the attention of both Alfred and Olivia.

Olivia appeared at the top of the stairs, just in time to see Bruce half drag, half walk David down the hallway and out the back door. Curious and concerned, she rushed down the stairs and followed David's voice as they made their way to the backyard. She made it to the door just as Bruce pulled David's bag off his back. She watched as Bruce took David's bag and dumped the contents onto the grass. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He had textbooks, workbooks and a pencil case. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Only one question was on her mind.

Had Bruce finally snapped?

She watched as he bent over and flipped through the books that littered the ground.

"Bruce?! What are you doing?!"

He turned, seeing her standing just outside the doorway with Alfred a few feet behind. He held up one of David's workbooks, showing that only the first few pages were complete.

"Our son has been skipping school since the first week of September! He's been writing absence notes, forging our signatures and pretending to be Alfred on the phone."

Olivia turned her attention from Bruce to David, as the boy shamefully looked at the his feet in the grass. She crossed her arms and walked down the stone walkway.

"Is that true?"

She saw David move his mouth, but she didn't hear him.

"What was that?"

"I said, yes," he replied, louder.

Olivia shook her head in disbelief.

"I'd like to find out where he has been," Bruce said to Olivia, as he walked up to her, handing her his suit jacket, keys and wallet. He looked back at David as he stood alone. "But he refuses to tell me, so I'm going to make him tell me."

Olivia's eyes widened. She knew that Bruce was angry but she would never guess that he would use force to get David to talk to him, like he would if he was a common criminal.

"Bruce!"

"Trust me," he said softly, as he rolled up his sleeves. He turned to where David stood anxiously. Bruce began to walk slowly towards him. Without warning, Bruce rushed towards him and lifted his arm.

David gasped when he saw his father about to strike him. He quickly deflected the move with his arm and reacted by defending himself with his other arm. David grabbed at Bruce's wrist and twisted around him, just as Bruce caught him by the ankle, bringing him to the ground. He landed on his back, hard. Bruce was then grateful that he decided to do this test on the grass, opposed to the marble and hardwood flooring that filled the rest of the house.

The boy coughed, as the wind had been knocked out of him.

"I thought so," Bruce stated out of breath, yet satisfied with his experiment.

Olivia was shocked by David's defensive technique when Bruce attacked him. She had no idea that he could move like that. She stared at her son as he rolled onto his side to sit up while Bruce walked back over to her.

"That was something I learned when I was with the League of Shadows," Bruce told her. "I learned it from Henri Ducard during my first year with them."

He turned to look at David as he sat up in the grass. "You must be in the accelerated program."

"The League of Shadows? David, what...?" Olivia shook her head, unable to even comprehend what was going on. "You know that they are dangerous."

"They're not dangerous, Mom! They're teaching me things that Dad never would."

"Where are you meeting them?"

David clenched his teeth, as he turned to his father.

"I can't say."

Bruce let out a sarcastic laugh and smiled.

"You can't say?"

"You know just as much as I do that you cannot betray the League of Shadows, which is something you did a long time ago! Ducard has told me how you were a coward. How you couldn't do what needed to be done!"

"David!" Olivia exclaimed, hearing her son back talk to Bruce.

Bruce shook his head.

"So, he is alive," Bruce said, putting his hands into his pockets. He walked back over to David and crouched down in front of him. "Until you tell me where I can find Ducard and his Shadows, you will no longer be leaving this house and if you do, you'll be strapped to my side the entire time. Do you understand?"

David sighed and glared at Bruce.

"Do you understand?" Bruce asked again, this time more sternly.

"Yes, sir."

"Get inside and do some school work," Bruce told him. "You have a lot of catching up to do."

David glared at him before walking over to the pile of books that were spread out on the grass. He picked them up and bitterly walked back into the house.

Bruce sighed, as he walked up to Alfred and Olivia.

"I had a feeling that something was going on," he said. "I never thought he would be training with the League of Shadows."

"But, Ducard? You said that he was killed!"

"I thought he was."

"David is just a boy," Olivia said. "What would he want with him?"

"It's not him that he wants," Bruce said. "You heard David say it. I betrayed the League of Shadows by turning my back on them. Taking my son emotionally from me is their way of exerting revenge. Heaven help them if they try to take him away physically."

-------------------------

Thursday, November 15th

12:38pm

Olivia sat at her piano in the large circular room. The curtains were open as the noonday sun was no longer shining brightly into the room. Olivia smiled when she felt the baby nudge her from the inside. The movement lately was starting to become more uncomfortable with the baby quickly running out of room with no place to stretch its arms and legs. She felt another push a second later that caused her to gasp. She stopped playing and placed her hand on her stomach, feeling the hard bump and gently pressed on it, hoping it would move to give her some relief. The baby's position shifted as did the bump.

"Is the little one causing some problems today?" Alfred asked with a smile, as he came into the room.

Olivia chuckled.

"Not anymore than he usually does."

Alfred nodded and smiled. "Lunch is ready in the kitchen."

Olivia swung her legs around the bench and stood up, before walking towards Alfred. They walked side by side down the hallway.

"He?" Alfred pondered aloud as they walked. "Are you assuming the child is a boy then?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know anymore. With David, I knew he was a boy even when I never had any clear verification that he was. But this one, I don't know. Some days I think it's a boy and others, a girl. I just don't like referring to the baby as, it, all the time."

"I understand," Alfred said as they made their way into the kitchen where David was already sitting at the table, a book in front of him as he ate a sandwich. The television was on and the volume was low. "It would make things easier, such as preparing the nursery."

Olivia shrugged. "I think I'm just going to wait until he or she is born and then go from there. I'm planning on having the baby in our room for the first little while anyways."

Alfred nodded as Olivia sat down at the table where a sandwich had been set.

"Jill Craig is going to be coming over in a few minutes," she said, prior to taking a bite. "She wants to get started on the planning for the baby shower." Olivia looked over at David. "She's bringing Michael along, so I expect you to be on good behaviour."

David agreed silently before going back to his book.

Bruce walked into the room and greeted Alfred, Olivia and David with a smile. As he sat down, David stood up and made his way out of the room, without making eye contact with anyone. Bruce sighed as Alfred handed him his sandwich.

"I hate that David does that every time I come into a room," Bruce stated.

"Hey, he'll get over it," Olivia said, with a nudge.

Bruce glanced up at the television as the news reporter began to speak, catching his attention. He glanced over his shoulder at Alfred.

"Alfred, could you turn up the volume?"

"Certainly," he said, reaching for the remote beside him and increased the audio.

"...representatives from Wayne Enterprises weren't available for comment. The tension between the shareholders has been escalating as the stocks have plummeted with rumours of a possible divorce between Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, both of which have high stakes in the company. If the divorce becomes final, the outcome could be grim for the remaining shareholders of Wayne Enterprises."

"I guess we should have signed that prenuptial agreement three years ago," Bruce commented with a smile. "In the very least, it would have made the stock holders feel more at ease."

Olivia smiled weakly before taking a drink of water.

"How much longer are we going to do this for?"

"Do what?"

"This, pretend that our marriage is falling apart, thing," she said.

"Not much longer," Bruce said. He reached forward and took her hand. "I know how much this has been bugging you and I appreciate you going along with this."

Olivia nodded half-heartily and sighed as the doorbell was heard.

"I'll get that Alfred," Olivia said, pushing herself up off her chair and walked out of the room to answer the door.

Alfred watched as she left the room before sitting down across from Bruce with a cup of coffee in front of himself.

"I know that this separation is an act that you are putting on, but please refrain from giving the press too much to talk about when it comes to Mrs. Wayne," Alfred warned. "She may say that she can handle the pressure, and the comments, but she's an emotional time bomb right now. It's only a matter of time before she'll break."

-------------------

Saturday, November 17

Bat Cave

8:22pm

"There you are!"

Bruce turned, hearing Olivia's voice as she stepped off the bottom of the lift. He wasn't expecting it to be her when he heard the mechanics of the metal elevator being turned on.

"I guess I should have known that you'd be down here," she said, as she walked up to him. She then noticed that he was wearing all of his armour and Kevlar except for the cowl.

"You've been looking for me?"

Olivia nodded.

"Are you going out tonight?"

Bruce leaned back in his chair and sighed. He could see the familiar look of dread on his wife's face. "I was planning on it. Why?"

She sighed and shrugged. "I thought that perhaps we could relax and watch a movie together. There wont be too many more evenings together before the baby is born."

Bruce stood up and walked over to her, taking her hands.

"I'm meeting Jim Gordon at nine and then I need to go out and find out what I can about Ra's Al Ghul and the League of Shadows being in Gotham," he said. "I promise you that we'll have a few nights together before this little one comes. Okay?"

A smile pulled at her lips, as she tried not to becoming overly excited. She knew how quickly his plans always seem to change. Finally, she nodded as Bruce leaned in and kissed her forehead before walking around her to grab the cowl. He pulled it over his head and smiled at her before climbing into the Tumbler.

"I'll be home soon," he said as the roof closed over him.

Olivia smiled as the Tumbler came to life and quickly roared through the waterfalls. Realizing that she was alone in the cave, Olivia sat down in the empty chair. It was still warm from its last occupant. She rested her hands on her pregnant stomach and smiled at the response she received from the baby now that she was no longer moving around.

"This is something you're going to have to get used to," she said.

-------------------

9:04pm

Roof of MCU

Jim pulled the collar of his jacket up high around his neck. The wind was horribly chilled and it was beginning to have the feel of an impending early winter. He held his cup of coffee with both hands to warm them as he looked out at the city. The sound of distant sirens found their way to his ears. A moment later, he heard another sound and turned around.

"You're late," he said, as Batman stepped off the ledge of the roof.

"I have proof now of the League of Shadows being in Gotham," Batman said, cutting straight to the chase.

"What? You do? How?"

"For your own safety, I can't tell you," he said. "But what I can tell you is that their leader, Ra's Al Ghul, is alive."

Gordon's mind went over the incident in Gotham years ago and how they tried to destroy the city. He nodded.

"I'll get all precincts to be on alert," he said. "Do you know what they're planning?"

"Not entirely," Batman said. "But their tactics seem to be more personal than against the entire city."

"Personal? Against whom?"

Batman never answered his question so Gordon assumed it was one he couldn't answer aloud. Truthfully, Batman didn't know how Gordon would react if he knew that the man in front of him was once part of the League of Shadows and that they knew who he was.

Batman turned and spread his arms before jumping off the roof top.

-----------------

Saturday, December 1st

Wayne Manor

3:50pm

"OH, Olivia, you looked so cute, today," Mrs. Thornley said, as she picked up another small china cup off the table. "You must be exhausted honey. Maybe you should sit down. You look tired."

"Thanks Mom, but I feel fine. I certainly don't feel cute though," she stated, as she picked up another piece of wrapping paper off the floor and tossed it into the garbage bag that Jill held in her hands. "I feel like I've been dragging around a bowling ball."

Her Mom chuckled as she continued to clean up after the baby shower.

Olivia's parents had arrived earlier in the week and while she enjoyed their company, the seemingly constant attention to how she was feeling and what she shouldn't be doing, was beginning to irritate her. She reminded herself that her parents were only down for a short time. David was enjoying spending time with his grandparents, even if it was within the confines of the house. Her parents never questioned why they had grounded him and respected his punishment.

"I have to agree with your Mom, 'Liv," Jill said, taking her by the arm and ushering her to an arm chair. "Sit!"

Olivia complied as Jill dragged a second chair towards her and lifted her feet up. "Relax, 'Liv. Let us do the cleaning."

Olivia shook her head as Alfred came into the room to gather more plates. He smiled pleasantly to see that Olivia was sitting down.

"What am I supposed to do while I sit here?"

Jill smiled and grabbed a pile of the baby clothes that had quickly accumulated in the two hours of the baby shower. She carried it over to Olivia and placed it on top of her lap.

"Here," she said. "You can gush over the cute clothes all over again and then fold them."

Olivia smirked as she sat up straighter in the chair as she began to pull out one outfit from the pile at a time.

"Thank you for doing all of this, Jill, for the organizing and planning," Olivia said. "And Mom, you did a great job with the flowers. But you didn't have to go all out."

Her Mom shrugged with a smile. "You can thank your loving husband for that."

Olivia smiled, looking over at the array of gifts that they had received. She shook her head.

"I've never seen most of these baby things before," Olivia said. "I mean, with David, I never remember seeing these things in stores at all."

"I've seen them in magazines before," Jill said. "These are baby things that people like Angelina Jolie have for their babies."

Olivia shook her head in amazement.

"One of the perks of being married to the most influential man in the country; a boatload of overpriced baby gear," she said, sarcastically.

"Talking about me again?"

Olivia turned to see Bruce walking in the door with her Father and David beside him. Just as they did, Alfred approached them.

"Excuse me," Alfred said, carrying a small package in his arms. "Madam, for some reason, this was left on the counter in the kitchen. There isn't a name on it or a card."

Curiously, Alfred handed it to Olivia who placed it on her lap and began to open it. As soon as the box was opened, her hand went to her face as the strong, pungent smell filled the room. She quickly closed the box and stood up with it in her hands.

"Oh my god! That's nasty! What the hell is that?" Jill exclaimed as Olivia opened the box once again to reveal a single flower bloom.

"That's a horrible smelling flower," David exclaimed, as he covered his nose with his arm while the others all grimaced at the strong aroma coming from the plant. Jill and Olivia's parents, along with David all left the room, trying to find fresher air.

"There's a letter in the box," Olivia stated, to Bruce, before covering her nose and mouth with her hand. "But I don't want to even come close to that flower again." Bruce took the box from her.

"I'll take it outside," he said, walking through the kitchen to the back door. Bruce slowly opened it, seeing the flower inside the box once again and noticed the card on the inside. Carefully, he quickly pulled the envelope out of the box before throwing outside the back door.

He began to open the envelope when Olivia appeared at the door. She watched his face turn from curiosity to anger.

"What is it, Bruce?"

"Mrs. Wayne - You say that you love him, but I've seen the truth. Even when no one else believes me, I'll still know the truth. Your baby should be mine as I am someone who could truly make its father happy," Bruce said, as he read the letter aloud.

"What the hell?"

"It was signed, Poison Ivy."

----------


	13. Chapter 13

6:03pm

Even though the smell seemed to have all but disappeared, Olivia swore she could still smell it, and it was turning her stomach. Wrapped in her coat, she stood outside on the veranda as the cool breeze blew the fallen leaves around her feet. She needed some fresh air. The smell wasn't the only thing that had turned her stomach. She replayed the words of that letter in her mind. The baby rolled inside her, as though it felt the same anxiousness as she had. Olivia placed a gentle hand on her stomach, waiting for the movement to cease. She heard the door open, but didn't turn.

"There you are."

Olivia looked over her shoulder, seeing Bruce standing at the open door. He rubbed his hands along his arms as the wind blew into the house. He reached behind the door and grabbed a coat that hung there.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, pulling the coat on as he closed the door behind him.

"The smell was just too much in there," she replied. A thought came to mind and a smile grew on her face. "I'm due in six weeks and now, it seems that smells are starting to bother me more than before."

"I don't think it's just the smell of that flower," Bruce said, walking up beside her. "I was down in the cave for nearly two hours and I'm still feeling sick to my stomach. I don't respond well when someone threatens my family. Speaking of which, where are your parents and David?"

Olivia grinned.

"David is upstairs doing school work and my Mom and Dad are out for a night on the town. I called Pierre at the hotel and told them to give them your table for the evening and to charge everything to your account," she said.

An amused smirk pulled at Bruce's lips.

"My account?"

She shrugged innocently. "They've done a lot since they've been down. My Mom did so much for the shower and I know that it's been a while since they've gone to an upscale restaurant. They deserve it."

He heard her let out a sigh. She looked out at the property around them as though she was in deep thought. Bruce stood behind her, snaked his arm around her waist and put his hands on her pregnant stomach before kissing the back of her neck.

"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'll make sure of that."

She smiled and turned to look at him.

"What makes you think I'm worried?"

"You get this look on your face and it could be masked as being overly serious, but I can see the worry in your eyes," he explained.

Olivia nodded.

"This, Poison Ivy knows something about us and that scares the hell out of me," she said. "She's obviously jealous about you and I being together. But the fact that she wants the baby is just sickening."

"Like I said, everything will be fine. I'm going on patrol tonight and I'll see what I can find out about Poison Ivy."

--------------------

10:22pm

"A play and now a fancy dinner - I could get used to all this luxury," Michelle said, glancing around at the spectacular surroundings of Bruce's hotel. She picked up her fork and knife and cut into the 8 ounce sirloin steak, which was daintily placed among three spears of asparagus and three small, red potatoes. "I'm glad to know that Olivia hasn't gotten swept away in it." She took a bite and shook her head. "I found a pair of Olivia's old running shoes in the front closet that she bought when she was still single and living with us in San Diego!"

Gerald shook his head.

"She's exactly like you, Mich," he said. "You have that purse-like tote thing in your dresser that you picked up when we were on vacation ten years ago, and you still use it even though you've had the straps re-sewn a couple times."

"There's nothing wrong with it," Michelle argued. "I'd hate for one hundred dollars to go to waste. I'm being frugal."

"Just like 'Liv," Gerald said.

"The difference is that she can afford to get a new pair of shoes," Michelle explained. "Gosh, Bruce could buy out an entire Gucci store if he wanted to."

"But Olivia wouldn't ever be happy with Gucci."

Michelle smiled.

"No, she wouldn't. She'd rather have something sensible. I'm glad to know that she's in love with Bruce and not the money behind the name."

Gerald nodded.

A loud crack of a gun was heard before one of the waiters were propelled forward by the shot and fell to the ground, his silver plated tray and the contents spilled to the floor in a loud crash. Patrons began to scream and get up from their tables in fear.

"What the hell was that?" Gerald asked, twisting around in his chair just as a woman wearing a green leotard, fishnet stockings and knee high boots strutted into the room. She pushed one of the men with a gun aside as she glanced around the room.

"I'm looking for Bruce Wayne!" she called out.

The patrons began to look around the room, but no one said a word. They all seemed either too stunned to speak or were too afraid to even open their mouths in fear that their lives would be quickly cut short. She sighed.

"Now, I know that he's here," she called out again. "His car is here."

Michelle nervously looked at Gerald, who slowly stood up out from their booth. He cleared his throat to get the woman's attention. She looked in his direction.

"Um, he lent it to us," Gerald said.

"Who is, us?"

"My wife, Michelle and I. Bruce Wayne is our son-in-law."

A sinister smile crept up on the woman's face. "Really? That's fascinating."

The woman walked towards Gerald.

"So, you would be the father of that wife of his," the woman said. "I do hope that she enjoyed that baby shower gift I sent."

Gerald eyes widened.

"You? You sent that flower?"

The woman smiled smugly.

"And it's so fitting for Mrs. Wayne - the disgusting rat that she is," she said. "She sleeps with the Batman in her husbands own penthouse apartment."

"That's not true!" Gerald exclaimed.

"Of course it is!" she quickly retorted. "I saw them with my very eyes. I saw the way she looked at him when she opened the balcony door and how he walked back out nearly two hours later. It's funny how a little influence can change a story. I know the truth. Olivia Wayne sleeps with the devil!"

"Hey," Gerald started, taking a step forward. "That's no way to speak about my daughter."

He was instantly looking down the barrel of a gun.

"I'd suggest that you back off," she said. "These guys are awfully protective of me."

A second later, a loud crash was heard as a dark figure flew through the restaurant window, hitting one of the armed men in the back. Batman quickly stood up as another man attacked. He caught the fist and grabbed the man's arm and swung him to the ground just as he felt a hard object hit him in the back. Batman groaned and staggered forward from the attack He looked over his shoulder just as the attacker swung the barrel of his rifle at him again. This time, Batman caught it and jerked it back, hitting the attacker in the face with the butt of the rifle.

Batman turned, seeing the woman in green in front of him. He recognized her instantly as Dr. Pamela Isley. He looked past her at the frightened expressions of his in-laws as they stood behind her. All around him, the people in the restaurant ducked low to the ground.

"So, you're the great Batman, hmm?"

She appraised him with her eyes.

"Let these people go," Batman growled. "What do you want?"

Isley chuckled. "Already with the demands. One would think that you owned the place!"

Batman had to smile inwardly at that comment. He knew that he would have a great time meeting with his manager later on to get an estimate of damages to the hotel and restaurant.

"Bruce Wayne," she stated, bluntly. "I want him."

"That's not going to happen."

Isley sighed as she sauntered up to Batman.

"You know, I can see why Mrs. Wayne keeps you in her back pocket," Isley said, as she began to circle around him. "A man of your assumed talents could come in handy once in a while, especially when the husband is away at work or busy travelling."

Batman eyed the crazy woman carefully as she walked around him. He was aware of the other men with their guns trained on him. Without warning, one of the men lunged at him, stabbing him in the back with a small knife. Batman cried out and spun around just as the barrel of a gun hit him in the stomach.

His mind seemed to spin as he tried to keep his eye on where Pamela Isley went and the men attacking him from all angles. Batman could hear the police sirens in the distance and noticed that Isley heard them too as she quickly made a run towards the back of the restaurant. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Gerald, his father-in-law step in front of Pamela.

"I'm not letting you leave," he heard him say.

Batman flipped one of the men over his shoulder before looking back at Gerald. Batman could see Michelle's pleading hand on her husbands shoulder, urging him to let her go. From the corner of his eye, Batman saw another man run towards him with a knife. He quickly ducked, and stood up, punching the man in the face. Batman spun around just as the world seemed to slow to a stop.

No! his mind screamed.

Pamela Isley was kissing Gerald.

Batman pushed the last assailant into the wall with his arm. When he looked up, Isley had disappeared. He watched as Gerald staggered for a moment before collapsing onto the floor. Batman quickly rushed across the restaurant, pushing tables and chairs aside as the patrons all ran out of the building. He knelt beside him, watching as the man went into convulsions. He had to ignore the frantic cries of his mother-in-law, as he quickly loosened Gerald's tie to feel for a pulse. It was incredibly fast.

"Help him, please!"

Batman looked up into Michelle's eyes. He felt helpless.

"I can't," Batman said quietly. He glanced over his shoulder, hearing the many officers quickly coming into the building. "But hopefully they can. Tell them that he was poisoned."

Taking one final look, Batman quickly ran out of the restaurant. Michelle held tight onto Gerald's hand, feeling the strength quickly leaving the grip.

--------------------

Wayne Manor

11:08pm

Olivia was startled when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. In the darkness of her bedroom, she could make out a figure. She knew it wasn't Bruce by the straight-backed posture of the figure in the dark.

"Alfred. What's wrong?"

"Sorry to wake you, but Master Bruce is on the phone and he says it's rather urgent," Alfred said softly, as Olivia reached towards the lamp on the bedside table and turned it on. Her eyes fell on the clock, noting the time in her mind while Alfred handed her the phone.

"Bruce?"

She could hear the soft rumbling of the tumbler in the background.

"What's going on?"

"There's been an accident," he said, his voice wavering slightly. Olivia sat up, growing increasingly concerned.

"Are you all right?"

"I'll be fine," he stated. "It's about your Dad, Olivia. He's been sent to the hospital."

----------------

Dent Memorial Hospital

11:32pm

The few facts that Bruce had told her were enough to know that the situation wasn't good. When she practically ran into the ER waiting room, wearing only her pajamas with a coat over top, and her hand on her stomach, the sight of her alerted more than one of the triage nurses. They began asking questions about being in labour and contractions. Olivia shook her head.

"No, I'm not in labour," she assured them. "I'm looking for my father, Gerald Thornley. He was brought in here not too long ago."

"Just down the hall," one of the nurses told her, as she pushed open the large door.

Olivia quickly thanked her before she marched down the hallway, glancing from one door to the next, hoping to find a familiar face. She froze in the hall and felt a lump grow in her throat when she saw her Mom walk out of a room up ahead. She was visibly crying. Olivia watched as her Mom placed her hand onto the wall to keep herself from collapsing onto the floor.

"Mom?"

The weary and shaky voice caught Michelle's attention and she looked up at her daughter with tears in her eyes. Olivia walked towards her, quickly.

"Is Dad okay?"

Michelle looked into the room that she just walked out of and shook her head.

"He's gone," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry, honey. He's gone."

Olivia glanced into the room, nearly feeling the cold of death sweep by her feet. Her father lay motionless on the hospital bed with many tubes coming from his body. Two nurses moved fluidly around him, knowing that the two women were right outside the door. Olivia watched as they turned off the machines around him.

She didn't know it, but she was shaking. She couldn't believe it. Just hours before, she was talking with him. Olivia shook her head as tears came to her eyes.

"No. No. No! No!" she began pleading, just as her Mom quickly wrapped her arms around her and held her tightly while the sobs washed over them.

---------------

December 2nd

1:35am

Olivia walked into Wayne Manor and dropped her purse at the door; deciding it was pointless to even pick it up. She began to walk towards the stairs just as Bruce appeared at the top. Seeing her face, he quickly came down the stairs and pulled her into his arms. He didn't have to say anything. The look on her face when she came home was enough for him to know what happened. He could feel her take ragged breaths as she choked back the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her once again. Bruce soothingly rubbed his hands on her back.

"I'm so sorry, Olivia," he whispered in her ear. "I should have gotten them out of there sooner."

He felt her shake her head as he held her close.

"No," she said softly. "You did what you had to do. You couldn't be everywhere at once. You're not Superman."

"Is your Mom still at the hospital?"

Olivia pulled back from Bruce's arms and rubbed her eyes as she nodded.

"I couldn't convince her to leave Dad," she said softly. Bruce put his arm around Olivia and walked with her up the stairs. "They were going to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary next year. I couldn't imagine how Mom must be feeling right now."

"Come on," Bruce said, taking her by the hand. "Let's get you to bed."

Olivia shook her head.

"I couldn't sleep," she said. "Not right now."

Bruce sighed and nodded, understanding full well how she was feeling. He tried to smile, just even for her sake.

"All right," he said softly.

--------------------

Wednesday, December 5th

11:22pm

"This was the crappiest birthday ever!" David exclaimed, as he pushed the front door open before marching through the entryway and up the stairs.

"I'd have to agree with him. Going to a funeral on your birthday has to be the worst thing anyone could have to deal with," Bruce said solemnly to Olivia, as they walked into the house. Bruce carried two bags in one hand, while using the other to hold onto Olivia's arm so that she wouldn't slip on the slick steps leading to the front door.

He placed the bags on the floor as Alfred walked in with two bags as well. Bruce turned and walked back out the door, going for the final pieces of baggage from the car.

Olivia sat down in the chair nearest to the door and sighed before reaching down to pull off her shoes. Flying twelve hours within the course of two days was tiring for anyone, let alone a pregnant woman.

Alfred tugged off his gloves and put them into his pockets before holding open the door once more for Bruce as he walked in the door. He closed the door behind him.

"I'm just glad it's over now and we're home," Olivia said, arching her back and rubbing her shoulders. "I still feel bad for leaving my Mom, but at least she has my cousin and aunt with her there for a while. With Christmas in a few weeks, it's going to be rough. I wish I could be there with her."

"The doctor was hesitant about you going to San Diego for the funeral," Bruce said. "I could just imagine his argument with you flying at Christmas and unfortunately, I'd have to agree with him."

Olivia sighed and stood up.

"I know," she said. "The last thing I'd want is to have this baby in mid-air with only you and Alfred to help."

She smiled and chuckled at the thought. Alfred walked towards them.

"It's been a long day, Olivia. You should get to bed and rest," Alfred suggested.

"Why? What time is it?"

"Nearly 11:30 at night," he replied.

Olivia sighed and stood up. "Damn jet lag." She turned and watched as Bruce walked towards his study. "You're going out now?"

Bruce stopped and turned before shaking his head. "Not tonight. I have one more gift for David for his birthday and I want him to have it before the day is done. Go on up to bed. I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Olivia nodded.

----------------

David laid in his bed, with earphones buds in his ears and a book in his hands. He had the volume up so high that he didn't even hear Bruce knock twice before he slowly opened the door. Clearly, David hadn't even noticed his presence in his room. Bruce smiled as he heard David singing softly out of tune to the song that played on the MP3 player. Finally, David saw him and pulled the earphones out of his ear.

"I didn't even hear you come in," he said.

"I'm not surprised," Bruce said, walking towards his bed. "I could hear the music coming from the earphones all the way from the door."

David smiled sheepishly, as Bruce sat down. The boy sat up, curious as to why he was receiving the late night visit. Bruce reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a box.

"Happy Birthday," he said, handing him the box.

David was slightly confused, although still pleased with getting a gift so late on his birthday. Without any invitation, he began to unwrap the small box. He carefully took off the lid.

"I bought this in the summertime when I was in Tokyo on that business trip," he said, as David pulled out the watch from the box. "It works by kinetic energy. So, a little flick of the wrist will make it start working when it hasn't been moving for a while."

David eagerly slipped it on his wrist and shook his hand before placing his ear against the watch face to listen for any mechanisms.

"Thanks Dad."

Bruce smiled. Their relationship was still strained. He could feel the awkwardness in the room. Rather than ending the conversation there, he wanted to continue it in hopes to slowly build that bridge back into his son's life.

"I'm glad that you like it. I still find it hard to believe that you're twelve years old."

He rolled his eyes. "That's what Mom said too."

"It's true though," Bruce said. "You've grown up a lot in the few years that I've known you but that doesn't mean that you're old enough for me to no longer be concerned about you. David, I worry about you constantly. When I found out that you were skipping school and even when you told me about Ducard, I had never been so concerned for you. I love you David. You're my son and I want to protect you. I need you to tell me where Ducard is."

David laid back down and rolled over in his bed before placing the earbuds back into his ears.

----------------

"How'd it go?"

"Bad," Bruce replied bluntly, as he slid underneath the cold sheets beside Olivia. "He took the gift, but he pretty much ignored me when I asked about Ducard."

Olivia shifted her position and laid on her side with her hand on Bruce's bare chest.

"Give him time," Olivia said. "You know yourself how good Ducard is when it comes to propaganda. He'll come around now that he's no longer seeing the guy."

Bruce nodded thoughtfully as he put his arm around Olivia, and hearing her sigh in contentment.

"I didn't tell you something about the night your Dad passed away," he said, softly.

"What?"

"It was Dr. Isley who sent that flower," he said. "Dr. Isley is Poison Ivy. She wants me, Bruce Wayne, for some reason."

He heard Olivia chuckle sleepily.

"Who wouldn't want you?"

"Yeah, and she hates you," he added. "Which doesn't surprise me why she killed your father after he stood up for you after hearing her accusations about you and Batman."

Olivia snorted.

"If she comes near David or even threatens the baby, I'm going to kill her," Olivia said, bitterly. "She killed my Dad."

Bruce leaned over and gently kissed Olivia on the mouth before pushing her hair behind her ear.

"If she comes near any of you, I'll personally take care of it," Bruce said.

----------------

Ducard stood staring out the window at the moon as one of his men came up behind him.

"The doctor says she's pretty much ready," he said. "When do you want me to send the message?"

"Do it now," Ducard replied. "The boy will get it tomorrow and that will set our plan into motion."


	14. Chapter 14

Monday, December 10th

10:35am

Alfred walked through the quiet halls of Wayne Manor. It wasn't completely silent. The only sound that was heard were his footsteps on the marble flooring and the ticking of the grandfather clock standing rather stately against the wall. Bruce had gone to a short business meeting at Wayne Tower and he had dropped Olivia off at the bakery on his way. She had been insistent on checking up on the store, even though she knew full well that the students she had hired could easily take care of things for her.

Alfred had to smile. She was just as stubborn and determined as Master Bruce and it seemed that David was quickly taking after his parents in that department.

The elderly man pushed open the door to David's room and walked in with a stack of fresh towels for the bathroom. He glanced over to where the boy sat at the old wooden desk in front of the window, tapping his pencil against his book.

"Having some problems, Master David?"

The boy slouched in the chair and dropped the pencil onto the desk.

"Can I take a break? I've been working for over an hour now," he whined.

Alfred walked towards him and leaned over the desk, checking on the work that David had been doing.

"Did you finish the work your Mother assigned?"

David pouted. "No."

"Then I'd suggest that you keep working if you want to have a break anytime soon," Alfred stated, before turning to leave the room.

David let out an aggravated sigh as he sulked lower into his chair. He listened as he could hear Alfred's steps get softer as the man walked further away from him in the large house. When he was certain that the older man was far enough away, David pushed out his chair and quickly walked to the door before peeking out into the hallway. No one was there. He glanced down the hall towards his parents' half open bedroom door. After taking one final glance towards the stairs that Alfred had disappeared down, he walked quickly and softly down the hall. David stopped at his parents door and slowly pushed it open and then shut it behind him. He saw the Macbook sitting on the old oak desk. He walked towards it and touched the keypad to bring it out of its sleep mode. David looked once more at the closed door before sitting down in the chair and going on-line.

He let out a nervous breath as he waited for the computer to open to his email. Quickly, he typed in his address and password. He wasn't surprised to see new messages that were sent three days earlier. He knew that he should've come up with a reason to go on-line sooner. He began to read them and quickly replied before logging out. Finally, he erased his history before opening a new browser and typed in a search word.

"What are you doing in here?" Alfred asked, causing David to jump. David looked towards the door seeing Alfred standing there.

"You scared me, Alfred," David said with a chuckle, hoping to ease the situation and Alfred's speculation about what he was doing, with humour. It didin't seem to work. Alfred looked disappointed.

"You never answered my question."

"I'm Googling."

"Googling?"

"Yeah, I was just looking for some information on Saturn," he told him, pressing a few keys on the computer. "Mom wanted me to do some research on a planet and I picked Saturn so I was just checking to see who discovered it. I couldn't remember the name."

Alfred walked towards the boy and frowned.

"Galileo discovered Saturn," he said, as David smiled.

"That's right," he said. "I thought it was him, but I wasn't sure, so I had to check. Now that I know, I'll get back to work."

David slid awkwardly around Alfred and quickly left out the door, leaving the older man alone in the room. He looked down at the laptop seeing the open window that David had left with the name Saturn typed in.

-----------------

11:52am

"Is that cinnamon buns that I smell?" Olivia asked, as she walked into the kitchen. Alfred turned and smiled, seeing Olivia and Bruce.

"Yes, it is," he stated, as he reached for an oven mitt and pulled the sheet of fresh cinnamon buns out from the oven.

Olivia sighed.

"I managed to avoid all the temptations at work only to come home to fresh, warm, straight-from-the-oven cinnamon buns," she complained.

Alfred paused, not quite understanding the situation.

"One wont hurt, 'Liv," Bruce suggested.

"But I just cannot have one," she said. "I can't stay in this room. I'm sorry but I got to get out of here."

She quickly turned on her heel and left the kitchen. Bruce shrugged when Alfred looked at him.

"She's been concerned about her weight gain ever since the Doctor told her that she's already gained 30 pounds," Bruce explained. "The Doctor was wanting her to stay below 30 since she gained close to 50 with David."

Alfred scoffed.

"That's silly," he stated. "I wouldn't listen to any Doctor that tells you how much weight a woman should gain during pregnancy. As long as she's eating enough, I don't think there should be any cause for concern."

"That's what I told Olivia," Bruce exclaimed. "But of course, she wont listen."

Alfred glanced at the door, watching to see if Olivia walk back in. When she didn't, he looked at Bruce.

"I need to speak to you about Master David," Alfred said, softly.

"Why? Is he okay?"

Alfred nodded.

"He's fine," the man said. "I found him in your room earlier with the laptop on. He claimed that he was doing some research for a project on Saturn that Olivia had asked him to do."

Bruce nodded.

"Yeah, Olivia said she was giving him a project to do on the solar system."

"It's just that he seemed a little uncomfortable when I found him in the room. It was like I caught him doing something he shouldn't be," Alfred said. "When I asked what he was searching, he told me that he was trying to find out the name of the man who discovered Saturn."

Bruce seemed surprised.

"David knows that Galileo discovered Saturn," he said. "He's been reading about the planets for years now. Olivia gave him this project knowing that most of the information he already had in his head or in one of his textbooks. Why would he say that he didn't know?"

"He's been acting strange lately, sir," Alfred said.

"I know what you mean. Olivia thinks he's just going through a rebellious stage and hoped that now that he wasn't in contact with Ducard that he'd go back to how he was. Unfortunately, Ducard is a smart man."

-------------------

Tuesday, December 11

Wayne Manor

10:03pm

Where was that ringing coming from?

Olivia sat up in the dark bedroom, hearing the persistent ring coming from her purse which sat upon the dresser. Letting out an aggravated sigh, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. She picked up her purse off the dresser and began to fish blindly through it until she felt the small cell phone. She pulled it out and read the caller ID on the face.

She shook her head and pushed her hair away from her ear before answering it.

"Hello?"

_"Mom!"_

There was a voice that she wasn't expecting to hear.

"David? What...? Where are you?"

_"I'm in downtown Gotham, Mom,"_ he said. _"The corner of Wright and 9th."_

Her confusion had quickly turned to anger. The last time she saw the boy, he was in his bedroom.

"What the hell are you doing down there? You're supposed to be in your bed!"

_"Mom, please,_" he begged. "_I made a mistake and I need you to come and get me."_

She sighed.

"Your Father is out in Gotham somewhere," she said. "I'll call him and see if he'll be able to pick you up."

_"No!"_ David nearly shouted. "_You know how Dad gets when he's angry. I'll explain everything to you when you get me. Please, please, don't tell Dad."_

"Fine," she snapped. "But you had better have a good reason for sneaking out at night or swear to god, David, you'll be grounded until your prom!"

_"Okay, okay,"_ he said, quickly. _"Just come and get me. It's creepy out here."_

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

She shut the cell phone and tossed it angrily into her purse before going into the closet to change out of her pajamas and back into her jeans and shirt. When she came out, she walked into the deserted hallway. Alfred was no where to be found. She grabbed a pair of keys and quickly scribbled a note explaining where she was going in the event that Alfred was looking for her, and left it on the kitchen counter.

------------------

11:32pm

Wayne Manor

"That shoulder may be a little stiff for another few days, sir," Alfred said, as he and Bruce appeared from behind the book shelf in the study. Bruce slowly rotated his shoulder, feeling the pull of the muscle as he moved it.

"I was getting sloppy tonight, Alfred," Bruce said. "I can't risk being out there like this." A smile came to his face. "Olivia's going to wonder why I'm home so soon. It'll be nice to sleep next to my wife for an entire night for a change."

"I'm sure that it would be, sir."

Bruce slowly made his way up the stairs and stopped short when he walked into the bedroom, seeing the bed empty. He walked over to the bathroom, turning on the light to see that it too, was empty. He walked back out into the hallway and looked towards David's room. Instinctively, he walked towards the door and pushed it open, seeing the empty bed. He turned on his heel just as Alfred was on his way up the stairs. He met the man at the top step.

"Alfred, where are Olivia and David?"

The older man handed him the note. "I found it in the kitchen, sir."

Bruce read the note.

"Ten o'clock?" Bruce looked down at his own wrist watch. "That was an hour and a half ago." Bruce jogged down the stairs and picked up the nearest telephone, dialing Olivia's cell phone. When the call went directly to the voice mail, he marched back towards the study.

"Alfred, stay up here in case they return."

The man nodded as Bruce disappeared once again behind the book shelf.

----------------------

Gotham

11:47pm

Batman's hands held tightly onto the wheel as he sped through the city streets. Anger, confusion and worry flooded through him all at once. When he finally arrived at the corner of where Olivia had said she was going to pick up David, he slammed on the breaks as he saw the BMW sitting alongside the curb. Batman quickly jumped out of the Tumbler before the roof even had a chance to completely open. He jogged towards the drivers side door and opened it, seeing the car completely empty. On the passenger seat, sat Olivia's purse. He reached for it and pulled it out of the car, locking the doors before closing it once again. As he walked back to the Tumbler, he reached inside her purse, seeing her cell phone with the display indicating she had missed one call - his.

He got back inside the Tumbler and contacted Alfred.

_"Any luck?"_

"No," Batman growled. "The car was empty except for her purse."

Batman thought for a moment.

"I'm glad David's birthday was last week," Batman mumbled.

_"Sir?"_

"I had Fox install a transmitter inside David's watch. Bring up the GPS for transmitter number 625 and relay the location to the Tumbler," he said, quickly as he pressed the appropriate buttons on the Tumbler computer.

_"Got it,_" Alfred replied, as the location flashed up on the screen.

The Tumbler engine roared to life as he quickly spun on the street, heading towards the location.

----------------

11:47pm

Her back hurt. Her legs ached. She felt like she was hit with a Mack truck. She lifted her hand to touch her forehead when she realized that her arms had been restrained.

Olivia opened her eyes, and felt the restraints against her ankles as well. She tried to recall how she ended up being tied down to the bed. The last thing she remembered was stopping at the corner where she was to pick up David and had gotten out of the car. She never saw him. She didn't see anyone.

She wiggled in the restraints until she felt a jabbing feeling on her right arm. Olivia looked down and noticed an IV in her wrist with the tube taped around her arm. She followed the tube with her eyes to an IV bag that hung suspended above her. She moved once again, as she was quickly becoming uncomfortable laying flat on her back.

"Good, you're awake."

Olivia looked across the room, seeing a man come from the shadows into her line of sight.

"Ducard! Where's my son!?"

He grinned.

"Your son is fine," he replied. Ducard walked towards her and looked up at the IV bag. He shook his head and smiled. "That doctor thinks of everything."

Olivia let out a nervous sigh.

"Let me go."

"I can't do that. I need you to get your husband to come to me and well, Dr. Isley needs you for her own little experiment," Ducard said, as he looked over his shoulder while Pamela Isley walked in the door. "And if it isn't the lovely doctor."

Isley smiled sweetly at him, before turning to Olivia.

"How are you feeling?"

Olivia wasn't certain what Isley was expecting from her. "Fine."

"Hmm," Isley said, as she turned the valve on the IV pump, causing it to drip faster. "We'll see how fine you are in a little while."

------------------

11:53pm

Gotham Harbour & Shipyards

Batman stood on top of one of the older factories in Gotham which stood beside the shipyards. He held a pair of heat seeking binoculars over his eyes as he scanned the area. He looked towards the area which the GPS had indicated David's location to be. There he saw dozens of people inside an old warehouse. He reattached the binoculars to his hip, before jumping off the building, the cape becoming rigid as he soared over the many shipping crates until he landed on the warehouse roof.

He tapped the communicator on his cowl.

_"Go ahead, sir."_

"Send Gordon my position coordinates and tell him that I've found Ra's Al Ghul," Batman said, before closing the connection.

_"Yes sir,"_ Alfred replied. _"Any sign of them?"_

"Not yet."

He went to the edge of the building and looked down, seeing the maintenance ladder below him. He began to climb down until he came up beside a half broken window. He pulled open the window and slipped inside, stepping down onto a metal catwalk. His eyes quickly adjusted to the dark interior of the warehouse. He stayed within the shadows as many men, some whom he recognized as those from the League of Shadows, walked below him on the warehouse floor. Batman scanned the room for either David or Olivia.

He looked further down the catwalk and saw a control booth. Quickly, he ran towards it. Two men stood at the controls. Batman lunged at one of them and wrapped his arm around the man's neck, causing to quickly loose consciousness and fall to the ground. Meanwhile, the other man turned, fear in his eyes.

"It's...it's you," he stammered nervously. "Please don't hurt me!"

The man was short and small. He was quite pale and by the look of his eyes, Batman would have to guess that he was high on some sort of drug.

Batman punched him in the stomach and lifted him up so his feet were off the floor.

"Where's the kid and the woman?"

"I...I don't know!" he exclaimed. "I just work for the plant lady. She's easy on the eyes, if you know what I mean."

The man chuckled slightly, hoping to get a pleasant response out of Batman. Instead, Batman turned and shoved the man into the stone wall.

"Give me your best guess," he growled.

"Okay, okay," he said. "The kid, I haven't seen in a while. The crazy guy with the goatee seems to be really protective of him and wouldn't let anyone near him. The woman though, Poison Ivy's been busy with her for some reason. She has her in a strange medical lab across the warehouse."

The man pointed through the control window across the building to the level below them. Batman could see a light coming from the small square window on the door. Getting the information he needed, he threw the man onto the floor before quickly leaving the room.

_"You're greatly outnumbered there, sir,_" Alfred's voice chimed in his ear.

"I know," Batman replied softly. "I'm going to get Olivia and get her out of here before coming back to search for David."

He looked up at the support beam that ran along the width of the warehouse. Just as he was about to jump up on it, a loud crash echoed throughout the warehouse. Dozens of men came running out from every area to see what was going on. Batman looked down to see that the man he left in the control room had dropped one of the cargo boxes onto the floor causing everyone to look up and notice his presence.

"It's the Batman!"

Batman ran, hearing the gun fire being aimed at him from every direction. He heard the bullets bounce off the metal structures around him. There was no place for him to hide where he was. As soon as the gun fire started, it stopped.

"Batman!"

He recognized that voice. He looked down, seeing Ducard with David standing directly in front of him.

"Give yourself up and the boy will be fine!" Ducard called out. David stood, confused as Ducard grabbed him roughly around the shoulders and held him securely in front of him. "You and I both know how special he is!"

Batman looked down, seeing his son in the arms of his greatest enemy and feeling the defeat rise in him. Finally, he stood up and jumped off the catwalk and landed on the warehouse floor, surrounded by two dozen men with various types of weapons.

"Before you even consider taking these men on, I need to remind you that you would be equally matched to them," Ducard said. Suddenly, a man behind Batman kicked him in the back, causing him to loose his balance and fall to his knees. David cried out and wiggled in Ducard's grasp as Ducard smiled down at Batman. Ducard turned and pushed David into the arms of one of his men, ordering him to take David back to where he was earlier. Ducard then turned towards Batman as he slowly stood back up. Batman felt his arms being pulled behind his back and being tied tightly together.

"Bring him with me," Ducard said.

-------------

Wednesday, December 12

12:13am

The sound of the door squeaking loudly as it opened caused Olivia to jump. What frightened her more was that Batman was brought into the room. Ducard watched with amusement as he noticed his former student's countenance change with seeing Olivia tied down.

Batman noticed the medical equipment around her, and grew increasingly concerned as he was forced into a chair and was restrained in it. He watched as the emotions flashed across Olivia's face. What concerned him most was when she began to breath uneasily. She was taking deep breaths and closed her eyes before calming her breathing to the point where she was once again relaxed.

"Now, are you still going to say that you're feeling fine?"

Olivia opened her eyes, seeing Poison Ivy enter the room.

"Go to hell!"

Batman struggled within the restraints.

"What's going on here?"

"I can explain," Poison Ivy said. She glared over at Batman. "Good to see you again, Batman. I'm sure you've heard of a hormone called oxytocin."

When he didn't respond, she continued.

"It's a natural hormone that is primarily seen in large quantities during labour and delivery," she explained, walking around to the IV bag that was close to being empty. She turned to Olivia. "Now, thanks to your wonderful husband and his cheque that he so wonderfully gave me, I was able to get the synthetic brand you see here, along with some other things." She turned back to Batman. "In other words, I'm inducing her. With any luck, she'll be having that baby before sunrise. After all, that baby should be mine."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N - I'm going on vacation next week...hurray for Civic holiday in Canada(nothing really civil about it though), and I'll try to update during that time. I just know how much y'all love my cliffhangers. :) I have a love/hate relationship with them too when I read fanfics... I haven't forgotten about David...one thing at a time...

--------------------

Wednesday, December 12th

12:20am

Batman couldn't believe what he was hearing. Inducing? He tugged at the rope that was tightly wound around his wrists.

"She's not yet full term!" he exclaimed. "You'd be killing the baby!"

He watched as Poison Ivy chuckled and shook her head.

"You're forgetting that I'm a doctor," she said, as she rested her hands on Olivia's stomach. Olivia flinched at her touch and writhed, trying to get away. "If I read my tabloids correctly, she's due in a month. So right now, she's most likely around 35 weeks. Babies at this age are smaller, but will certainly survive. Don't worry. I think of everything."

"Excuse me, but may I speak with you outside, Doctor?" Ducard said, as he held open the door.

Taking one final glance at Olivia, Poison Ivy turned and walked out the door. Ducard closed the door behind her.

"What are you doing? This wasn't part of the plan," he said, keeping his voice low.

"What plan? I told you I needed Bruce Wayne's wife."

"Yes, to get him to come here, but not to induce his wife prematurely," he stated. "I gave you my blue poppy for your experiment, but I don't want any part of this."

Ducard paused as one of the League ninjas walked up to him. The man whispered in his ear.

"Where did you find him?"

"Just inside the perimeter, sir," he replied.

"Alone?"

The man nodded.

"Alright, I'll take care of it," he said. "Prepare everyone for evacuation. If we have the Commissioner of police, it wont be long before the other officers come after him."

The man turned and walked away. Ducard looked over at Poison Ivy as she stood in front of him with her arms crossed, and a smug smile on her face.

"Change of plans?"

Ducard scowled, as he walked away.

-------------

Batman looked over at Olivia once Ducard and Poison Ivy had left the room. He watched as a few tears came from her eyes and dripped off the side of her face. He struggled to free himself, wanting desperately to save Olivia from the pain she was enduring.

"I'm so sorry!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"For what?"

Olivia looked over at Batman, somewhat stunned to hear Bruce's voice instead of the deep, growl that would elicit fear in Batman's enemies. She could see his soft eyes from beneath the cowl.

"For getting into this mess," she said. "Have you seen David?"

He nodded. "Ducard has him."

Feeling the familiar tightening increase around her, she closed her eyes and tried to relax, as she breathed deeply. It was true what she had read about induced labours. They really are more painful. The world around her seemed to disappear as Olivia tried to mentally take herself somewhere else.

"Are you all right?"

She shook her head silently, as she let out her breath. Olivia finally opened her eyes. "They're getting worse."

Suddenly, the door opened and three men walked in with Poison Ivy. The men began to undo the restraints on Olivia's arms and legs as Poison Ivy ripped the IV line out from Olivia's arm. Olivia gasped at the action and pressed her hand on the bleeding wound.

"Get her out of here," Ivy told her men, who promptly took Olivia by the arms and pulled her out of the room.

Batman watched as Olivia struggled between the men.

"Where are you taking her?!"

Poison Ivy smiled as she closed the door.

---------------------

Wednesday, December 12th

1:13am

Olivia looked around the small maintenance room that she had been forced into. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling, and cobwebs stretched along its wire. The brick walls had a few locked fuse boxes and more cobwebs in the corners. She began to pace, feeling the cramps in her back gravitate to her stomach for the third time in almost fifteen minutes. She rested her hands on her lower back and stretched, hoping to ease up some of the uncomfortableness she was feeling. Now that she was no longer confined to the bed, she did feel better. She sighed as the contraction subsided. They were more tolerable now but the timing between them was what concerned her the most. She had hoped that they would disappear since she was no longer hooked up to the IV, but they weren't.

After a few minutes passed, the door opened and a man was pushed into the room. It took her a moment to realize that it was Commissioner Gordon. He looked up once he realized that he wasn't alone. He appeared just as shocked to see her. Olivia saw that the man had a fat lip and would probably end up with a black eye by the end of the day.

"What are you doing here?"

Olivia smiled bleakly and rested her hands on her back. "It's a long story."

"Batman didn't tell me that you were here," Gordon commented, as he looked around the small room.

"Ra's Al Ghul has him," Olivia said.

Gordon looked up, shocked. "He has him?"

Olivia nodded.

"My son and I were used as bait."

The Commissioner's eyes widened. "David is here too?"

"He's somewhere around here. I haven't seen him yet, but Batman has."

Gordon nodded as he looked around the room. His eyes fell back on Olivia when he saw her rest her hand against the wall and let out a deep sigh.

"Are you all right?"

She didn't answer him, but instead held up an index finger towards him motioning that she'd speak in a moment. Gordon's eyes widened when he realized what was going on.

"Are you in labour?"

Finally, she answered. "No."

"You're not in labour?"

"No, I'm not all right. Yes, I am in labour."

Gordon ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"Oh God," he muttered, before glancing up back at her. "Does....your husband know?"

Olivia nodded.

Gordon turned back towards the door and pulled on the handle, which didn't even move. "I need to get you out of here."

"I think I'll be okay," she told him, with a sigh. "They aren't that bad anymore."

Gordon chuckled.

"I was there for each time my wife gave birth and she was saying the same thing, about an hour before she was cursing me with every word in the book."

He looked back at Olivia's expression of fear.

"But then again, it could be a while," he added, wanting to give her some hope. "When was the last contraction prior to this last one?"

Olivia shrugged. "I don't have a watch. Maybe, ten minutes before you came in."

"Ten minutes," he muttered, before turning to pound his fist against the door.

"Do you have men coming?"

Gordon nodded. "Yeah, they should be here soon if they aren't already. I never expected to be ambushed while checking out the perimeter though. Ra's Al Ghul's people took my radio so my men will know nothing of the situation going on in here."

Jim and Olivia felt the ground shake and looked up as the single light began to flicker in the room.

"What's going on?"

----------------------

David tripped on the floor as one of the ninjas hurried him down the hallway. He cringed, feeling the cold cement rip at his jeans. He felt himself being picked up by the collar before being shoved once again from behind. A sudden jolt from the ground caused the small group of ninjas and Ducard to stop.

"What was that?" David asked.

"A surprise for the police," Ducard simply told him. He looked at the ninjas around him. "We need to hurry."

"Where's my Mom and Dad?"

"They're both a little preoccupied," Ducard replied as he pushed open a door to the outside.

David suddenly turned and stomped on the foot of the ninja beside him before running back the way they came. Unsure of what to do, the ninjas looked to Ducard for direction.

"Get him!"

David could hear the rush of footsteps behind him as he ran. He had no idea where he was going but he knew that he had to get away. He had made a mistake. David quickly turned a corner and found himself in the warehouse once again. One half of the building had collapsed. Fear ripped through the boys body when he noticed that was the way out.

"BATMAN!!" he yelled as loudly as he could.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso before he was tossed over a shoulder. He continued to kick and scream as the ninja quickly carried him back.

"NO!! LET ME GO!!"

-------------

They weren't the only ones who felt the explosion.

Batman looked up at the ceiling as dust from the suspended tiles fell down in the room. He wiggled more within the restraints, as visions of Olivia and David being in pain and alone, filled his mind. He was angry. Taking a deep breath, he pulled on them once again, pleasantly surprised that he was loosening them somewhat. He froze when the door suddenly opened, and Poison Ivy sauntered into the room. She slammed the door behind her with her foot.

"Looks like it's just you and me," she stated. She walked around the bed towards where Batman sat, staring at her as she approached. "To say that I was never attracted to you, is a lie. I'm finding myself torn between two men - Bruce Wayne and you. I was hoping that Bruce Wayne would be concerned enough for his wife's safety that he'd come after her, but alas, I was wrong." She grinned. "Maybe there is hope for us."

Batman took in a deep breath as he watched Poison Ivy kneel in front of him and ran her hands along his chest.

"Perhaps you can convince me who's more worthy of my time. A girl doesn't have to have much of an imagination to dream about what's under all of that armour of yours," she said, seductively as she moved her hands down to his hips.

She smiled happily when he began to wiggle within the ropes. She stood up and reached into her leotard, pulled out a small vile and sprayed herself with it before tucking back once again into her bra. She smirked at him as she walked slowly and confidently towards him.

"Take a deep breath and you'll feel a whole lot better about being tied up," she cooed as she leaned over him. Batman looked towards the door when he barely heard a familiar voice calling out to him. He had to hurry.

Poison Ivy suddenly gasped and looked down, confused. Her hands went for her neck, feeling the strong gloved hand around it. She pulled on the hand, trying to loosen the grip so that she could breathe. She looked into Batman's eyes, seeing the ferality in them. All that was in her mind was, why wasn't her pheromone working on him?

"Where's Mrs. Wayne and the boy?" he growled as he stood up, with his hand still on her neck.

He watched as Ivy nodded, and he loosened his grip. To his surprise, a smile appeared on her face.

"I knew it," she proclaimed. "I knew it. There is something going on between you and Bruce's wife. Just wait until I tell Bruce about you and her! But in the meantime, how about a kiss?"

She had to try. She put on a large amount of pheromone that would easily cause any man to listen to her. Instead, Batman grabbed her wrists and twisted her around, before slapping a pair of cuffs on her.

"Where are they?!"

Poison Ivy shrugged.

"Ducard has the kid. I don't know where they are. Ducard set up the explosion as a diversion for the police," she said. "I'll tell you where Mrs. Wayne is, if I could first get that little kiss."

Ivy pouted. As angry as Batman was, he fought with as much control as he could not to harm her. His head shot up when he heard the sound of a swat team calling out orders to people. When he suddenly heard the sound of Olivia's voice as she yelled out something unintelligible, he turned in the opposite direction. Batman ran out of the room, and onto the metal catwalk, praying that he was going in the right direction.

"Keep yelling," he chanted as he ran.

------------

1:30am

"That's not good," Gordon muttered, as he looked at the ground.

Olivia panicked as she looked down to see a pool of water coming down her leg. She backed up into the wall as another contraction hit her.

"No! Oh my god!" she exclaimed, as it was the most pain she had felt yet. She turned and hit her fist against the wall before resting her hands against the stone bricks. Gordon came to her side and placed his hand on her back. "Get the hell away from me!"

Gordon jumped, not expecting the hostility. He held up his hands, giving the woman space.

"I don't want anyone touching me!"

"I'm trying to help you," he argued. "Let me help you!"

"You can help me by hitting me over the head with a heavy object!"

Olivia turned and rested her forehead against the stone wall as she pinched her eyes shut, trying to regain control.

He watched her breath heavily but turned towards the door when he heard a loud pounding coming from the outside. On the third time, the heavy door swung open. Olivia was still too focused to even notice. Batman looked surprised to see Gordon but then he turned to Olivia. He saw her panting as she rested against the wall, her eyes shut. He quickly rushed up beside her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"I said, don't touch me!"

"Olivia, it's me," he said, softly.

Olivia panted as she glared at him.

"This is all your fault."

Ignoring her accusation, Batman looked over to Gordon.

"Your men are here," he told him. "Ducard is gone with David, and Poison Ivy has been tied up on the second level. Make sure your men have masks on. She's been using her perfume."

Gordon nodded.

"Her contractions are about two minutes apart. She needs to get to a hospital now," Gordon said, as Batman quickly picked up Olivia despite her protests. He quickly ran out the door, as Gordon followed out the door to meet his men.

---------------

1:39am

Olivia gasped as she felt herself connect with the seat of the Tumbler.

"Hold on," Batman said, as the roof to the Tumbler closed.

Olivia was very uncomfortable. All she wanted to do was to be able to move around and the confines of the Tumbler didn't allow for much movement. She couldn't sit still. Olivia leaned forward and rested her head against the dash as she took deep breaths. She was vaguely aware of the speed at which they were travelling and was oblivious to the things happening around her.

Batman pulled his cowl off his head and tossed it beside him before he pressed a button to call Alfred.

"Go ahead sir."

"I have Olivia. She's in labour."

There was a pause. Bruce wasn't sure if Alfred heard him.

"Uh..oh..Oh my," Alfred finally replied. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!" Olivia exclaimed.

"How far apart are the contractions?"

Bruce was about to reply when Olivia spoke up.

"Two minutes if I'm lucky," she said. "They don't seem to stop anymore."

"Sir, if I may say so, but with the distance you have to travel to get to the hospital, there is a chance that she may not make it there in time," Alfred said. "I'd suggest that you bring her home."

Olivia lifted her head up, as she heard Alfred's words. She began to shake her head.

"No, no," she said. "I need to have this baby at a hospital where there are drugs and lots of pain medication.

"Forgive me Mrs. Wayne, but as I see it, you have two options - in the Tumbler or at home. By the way you're sounding, there is no way that you're going to make it to the hospital. It's much further than it is to come here."

Olivia pounded her hand against the dash as another contraction wrapped itself around her.

"Breathe," Bruce said softly, as he continued to drive down the road, swerving around traffic and narrowly missing parked cars.

Olivia looked up at him, panting with her forehead covered in sweat.

"Don't you tell me what to do right now or I will personally castrate you, Bruce," she snapped. "God! I feel like I'm splitting apart. Are we almost there?"

"Almost," Bruce replied. "Just hold on a little longer."

"Tell that to your child who's not listening!"

He pushed harder on the accelerator as they veered off the main road and onto the dirt path that would lead them to the cave. Olivia reached out and held onto the side bar in the Tumbler. She arched her back.

"Bruce! Are you trying to hit every pot hole in Gotham?! Learn how to drive!!"

Bruce clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to spat something back at her. He kept his eyes on the path in front of him, ignoring as much of the painful cries as he could.

"Bruce, it hurts," she said. They were the first soft words with no hostility that she had said during their entire ride. Bruce's heart broke hearing her begin to sob. "I don't want to do this anymore."

----------

The Tumbler flew through the waterfall and landed on the other side. It drove up a little ways before Batman turned it off. He opened the roof and quickly jumped out.

"I can't do this anymore," she said, tears in her eyes as she stood up. Bruce met her on the other side and helped her out.

"Alfred!!" Batman called out.

"I'm here, sir. How is Olivia?"

"I'm feeling a little better," she said, with a deep breath. Bruce and Alfred watched her with suspicion. She glanced back at them, feeling their stares. "What?"

"Perhaps we should get you upstairs," Alfred said, walking towards her to take her arm. As soon as he took her hand, Olivia's eyes widened as she bent over in pain. She let go of Alfred's hand and grabbed ahold of her stomach. Alfred stepped back and looked at her as Bruce wrapped his arm around her.

"I have to push!" she exclaimed through her breaths.

"We'll get you upstairs," Bruce assured her, as Alfred quickly walked up beside them.

"Sir, there's no time," Alfred stated.

Bruce looked back at Olivia as she grunted while she bent over. He nodded as Alfred disappeared in the cave. Bruce helped her up towards the work area where a contemporary couch sat. He pushed the papers that covered it onto the floor and helped Olivia to lay back on it.

"I need to push! I feel like I'm splitting apart!" she said through gritted teeth.

"It's probably because you are," Alfred said, coming back into the room with a large stack of towels. He promptly handed a few to Bruce as he tucked them under her neck and at her feet. She leaned forward, knowing exactly what was going on.

"I'm not having this baby here in this cave!" she exclaimed, as Bruce pulled his gloves off his hands and tossed them down to the ground. He ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"You don't have much of a choice anymore," Alfred replied, as he sat down at her feet.

Bruce leaned over to Alfred.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

Alfred smiled.

"I helped a local medicine man in Burma birth babies."

Olivia sat up, her face red and beaded with sweat. She scoffed.

"Burma? When was that? Fourty years ago?"

"It's not something you soon forget. The process hasn't changed in that time," he countered, immediately hearing her concern in her voice. He pulled off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "I can help you, Olivia."

Tears began to come to her eyes, as she felt Bruce climb onto the couch behind her and rubbed her shoulders.

"I can't do this," she said, as she let herself slowly recline into him. "I need drugs. I need a doctor. I can't do this naturally."

"You are, my dear," Alfred said, smiling. "And you can push whenever you want now."

Without another invitation, Olivia leaned forward and pushed as hard as she could. She grunted and yelled as Bruce spoke softly into her ear.

"Bruce, shut up!" she exclaimed. "I don't want to hear about how much you love me. It's because of your love that I'm in this predicament right now, so I suggest that you stuff it before I cut it!"

Bruce looked at Alfred, shocked at her comment. Alfred merely shook his head before encouraging Olivia to push again.

Olivia was pleasantly surprised at how gratifying it was to actually be able to do something productive to the process. She completely forgot that she was inside of a dark, damp cave with hundreds of bats above her. Her only concern was getting that baby out of her.

"This little one has a full head of dark hair," Alfred said, with a smile before his face paled. Bruce saw the concern on the butlers face. "Sir, I need something that can clamp the cord and a pair of scissors now."

Without a hesitation, Bruce slid out from behind Olivia and ran towards the work area, literally tossing items aside until he found a pair of orange handled scissors and a handful of zip-ties. He quickly ran back to Alfred and handed them to him, seeing the issue at hand.

"The cord is holding the baby back," Alfred said softly, to Bruce. "It's wrapped around it's neck. I need your help. Slide your finger between the baby's neck and the cord so that I can cut it."

Carefully, Bruce followed the direction as Alfred slid the zip-tie around the cord before he cut it. He looked to Olivia, hearing her grunt against the pain she was feeling.

"Okay, push now, Olivia!"

Olivia took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could. Bruce had never seen something so amazing in his life. The baby was so small for a newborn but he had to remind himself that Olivia wasn't due for another month.

Feeling the wonderful sense of pressure being released, Olivia let out her breath that she was holding and laid back, catching her breath. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing the worried faces of the two men in front of her.

"What's wrong with her, Alfred?" Bruce asked softly, as he picked up the baby in his arms.

The colour of the arms and legs were bluish although the rest of the body was pink. There was no sound coming from the newborn. It was enough to cause Olivia concern.

"What's going on?" Olivia asked.

Alfred forced a smile and looked at her. "You have a baby girl."

"Why isn't she crying?"

Olivia looked from Alfred to Bruce, noticing the tears in his eyes as he looked up from the small, quiet bundle he held carefully against his armoured chest. As strong as he was, he couldn't hold in the sadness that he was feeling. Olivia felt the tears sting her own eyes as she watched her husband hold his daughter in his arms for the first time.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N - Sorry for the delay...vacations, seemingly constant interruptions, and illnesses caused the extended break between the chapters. Hopefully I'll have the next one out by the end of the week...no promises though as plans always change. Please R&R!!

--------------------

This couldn't be happening.

Why wasn't her baby crying?

Questions flooded her mind as she sat up, ignoring the pain that she felt with the quick movement. It had to be a dream. This wasn't real.

The feeling of being out of control and the excruciating pain had disappeared, but the anticipated wave of euphoria that Olivia waited for as the adrenaline wore off was replaced with confusion and fear. She couldn't take her eyes off of Bruce's face. Seeing the tears in his eyes was enough to bring her back into reality; one that she didn't want to return to. He was holding his newborn daughter who would never take her first breath.

"No," she whispered shakily, as tears quickly clouded her vision. She choked back a sob. "Bruce? Why isn't she crying?"

Bruce looked up from the beautiful child which he cradled carefully in his arms. It felt like a dream, one that he desperately wanted to wake up from. He could hear Olivia begin to sob as he ran his fingers gently over the matted dark hair on his daughter's head. He pinched his eyes shut, praying that he would wake up from the nightmare.

Alfred painfully watched the scene unfold in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he quickly took the baby from a grief-stricken Bruce Wayne and walked away from them as Olivia's sobs began to echo throughout the cave. He could hear Olivia's protests to bring the baby to her, as Bruce quickly went to her and held her.

He could hear Olivia shout loudly at him, nearly screaming at the older man to bring her the baby and that her daughter needed her. Alfred ignored the desperate pleas, knowing that Bruce was holding her and they needed time together before she saw the baby. Alfred looked down at the perfect miracle that was in his arms. She was perfect with ten toes, ten fingers and dark brown hair on her head. Nothing was wrong with her. He fought the sadness that threatened to envelope him. He took a shaky breath.

It wasn't fair.

The child never had a chance.

This child was like family to him.

He looked at the baby in his arms, seeing her lips tinted with a slight tinge of blue. A thought came to his mind - she was born so quickly and he never cleared her mouth or nose. She was struggling to get a breath that she never took. He had to try something, whether it be in vain or not.

Quickly and carefully, he turned her over onto his forearm, her head resting against his palm and began to rub and pat her back. He noticed the child startle slightly from the simple action.

"Come on, sweetheart," he said softly, as he continued to rub.

He turned her over slightly when he heard the small sound of gurgling from deep within her chest. With a renewed sense of hope, he laid her back down and Alfred continued to rub her back as the gurgling became louder. He watched as she fought to get that first breath while liquid dripped from her lips.

"Master Bruce! Get me a blanket."

Bruce looked up, his face reddened with sadness and saw for the first time what Alfred was doing. He rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. Although he was confused, he grabbed a large towel and slowly walked towards Alfred. As much as he wanted to see the baby, he didn't want the reality that he lost his daughter to set in again. Shocked, he stopped in his tracks when he heard the baby let out a high pitched wail. Bruce watched Alfred smile as he turned the baby over and carefully cradled her close to him, trying to calm her with his words after being held in an uncomfortable position. Bruce couldn't believe it.

Alfred finally let out a breath that he didn't know that he had been holding.

"Welcome, my dear," he whispered. Alfred looked up to see Bruce standing with the towel in his hand. Alfred let out a laugh of delight over the wail that echoed in the cave. "She's all right. She's a fighter, like her father. It just seems that she wasn't too fond of being naked while getting her back rubbed so vigorously."

Bruce quickly ran over, a smile on his face as he held out the blanket. Alfred instructed him to hold onto it as he placed the baby back into Bruce's arms. He helped to cover the child, to keep her warm in the cool cave. The crying calmed to a light cooing until she finally settled.

"Congratulations sir," Alfred said softly. "She's beautiful."

Bruce smiled, the tears still in his eyes.

"Yes, she is," Bruce said, as he walked towards Olivia with Alfred beside him. "Thank you, Alfred."

"My pleasure, Master Bruce."

Bruce could feel Olivia's eager eyes on him as he approached. He smiled at her before looking down at the little baby in his arms. Bruce bent over and gently handed the baby to her. He watched as Olivia quickly rubbed her nose before she lovingly held the baby to her cheek and lightly kissed the baby's forehead.

"Thank you so much, Alfred," she said, as tears once again welled up in her eyes. "She's all right?"

"It seems that she is."

Olivia looked down at the baby once again as she sniffed. "David wanted to be here when the baby was born."

Alfred turned to Bruce beside him.

"I'd suggest that your wife and new daughter be taken to the hospital," Alfred said. "The child was born nearly a month early. And I'm certain we'd all feel so much better knowing that everything is all right with her."

Bruce nodded.

"Could you take care of that for me, Alfred? I have a few things that I need to get done tonight."

"I've already called the ambulance sir. They should be here in five minutes or so."

Bruce knelt down beside Olivia, looking at his newborn baby who turned her head to ravishingly put her mouth on anything that was touching her cheek. He chuckled lightly before gently picking up the baby and handed her to Alfred. Bruce turned back to Olivia and helped her to the lift and then into Wayne Manor.

"I need to sit down now," Olivia said, her energy completely gone.

Bruce helped her to recline on the couch in his study. He knelt down beside Olivia, seeing the unspoken request in her eyes.

"I'll find him," he said, seeing her nod. "I'll find David." He leaned in and gently kissed her lips.

The sound of the doorbell suddenly broke their kiss and caused them to look out the study door towards the front door.

"That would be the ambulance. You should go sir,"Alfred said, as he handed Olivia the baby.

Bruce nodded before standing up. He watched Alfred leave the room before leaning over and kissing Olivia once more. Quickly, he grinned before making his way behind the bookshelf. Olivia watched it close just as Alfred and a pair of paramedics came into the room.

------------------

Liberty Ferry

"Help!! Let me out!!"

David pounded on the pantry door with his fists. He felt for the handle and pulled on it with all of his weight. He couldn't see a thing. It was a good thing that he was no longer scared of the dark or small places. He had felt around the room, feeling the numerous cupboards and drawers under the counter top, but each one was empty. He slid to the floor and sat down, feeling the tears come to his eyes. No one knew where he was. He saw the ferry that he had boarded and watched as the ninjas quickly and effectively rendered the department of transportation workers unconscious before they had a chance to call for help. David was pushed down a labyrinth of hallways until he found himself being shoved into the small pantry.

David held his hand up in front of his face, not even being able to see his fingers move. He rubbed his arms, feeling the coolness of the room causing him to shiver. He suddenly felt his watch on his wrist and he smiled as he felt the buttons along the side for the light. He pushed each one, waiting for a small light to brighten the room.

"Transmission activated," a small robotic voice said. "Searching for global position."

David's eyes widened as he looked at the watch face glow.

"Holy crap! What the hell?" David said, incredulously.

_"Watch the language, young man."_

David's eyes widened even more as his heart skipped a beat.

"Dad?"

_"I'm on my way,"_ he replied, the sound of the tumbler echoing in the background.

David looked down at his watch, somewhat frustrated that his father didn't trust him enough that he had to place a tracking system on him. But he was also relieved. He watched the wristwatch darken.

"Mom! You have to find Mom!"

_"I did,"_ Batman replied. _"She's fine."_

David grinned. Batman - man of few words.

"Dad," David began, his voice soft. "I'm so sorry."

_"We'll talk about it later,"_ he said, in voice that he recognized as his father.

David gasped as the room lunged forward and the sound of a low rumbling engine began.

_"What?"_

"I think the ferry is leaving," David said, nervously.

_"I'm almost there,"_ Batman replied, seeing the harbour ahead.

------------------------

Batman slammed on the breaks to the Tumbler. He looked down at the GPS and saw how far David was. He pocketed the GPS and sent a text message to Gordon before jumping out of the Tumbler. He looked down the wharf and saw the large ferry as it was beginning to pull away from the dock. Batman ran along the edge of the wharf before he aimed his grappler towards the boat. He fired it, hearing it attach to the hull. It quickly retracted, pulling Batman off the dock and into the water before he was pulled up along the hull.

Batman reached up and pulled himself up and over the railing. He looked around the deck, seeing no one and swiftly disappeared into the belly of the ship.

-------------------

David jumped when the door opened. He squinted against the bright light of the hallway and barely had time to adjust his eyes when he felt himself being pulled up off the ground and shoved out into the hallway. He glanced behind him to see a pair of ninjas pushing him down the hallway. They seemed to lead him down numerous pathways to the point where David had no idea where he was anymore. Every hallway looked the same and he was getting tired of tripping up the stairs as they climbed higher on the ferry. Finally, a door opened and David saw the lights of Gotham around them as he stepped onto the bridge of the ferry. Ducard turned, greeting him.

"Where is it?"

David looked up at him, confused.

"Where is what?"

"The device you used to send out a transmission," Ducard snapped. "I know you sent one."

David drew in a breath, absently thinking about the watch and how it was still transmitting his location to Batman.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Ducard walked up to the boy and stood a mere few inches from his face. David swallowed as he looked into Ducards eyes. He watched as the older man's eyes began to smile.

"You're lying."

------------------

Batman walked along the wall, staying within the confines of the shadows. He could hear voices echoing towards him as he went down the hallway. As he looked into the large sitting area, he recognized four member of the League of Shadows standing around talking.

"I'd be pretty pissed if I was Wayne right about now," one of them said.

"I don't know why Ra's is so determined to take the boy with us," another one said. "He'll just slow us down once we're out of the country. We had enough trouble packing the ferry with the explosives. I still don't know what we need all the explosives for."

"Ra's wanted to make sure that nothing stops him. He said it's for the diversion once we're out of the harbour and on the cargo ship," the first one said. "The guy always has a plan and it always works out."

Three of them chuckled.

"Except for the last time he was in Gotham," the fourth one said. "I heard that Batman foiled his plans. I didn't want to be around the man after he returned from his special pits. He was hell bent on destroying Batman by any means."

Batman quickly swung into the room, kicking one of the Shadows in the back, causing him to fall forward into the other. They all turned, and began to attack Batman simultaneously. It had been a while since Batman had experienced a fight against criminals who were trained to fight. He took each blow they gave him and he quickly recovered, delivering his own swift kicks and punches until the four Shadows were laying unconscious on the floor.

Batman looked down at the GPS, realizing David was one floor above him. He quickly pocketed the device and ran towards the stairs across the room.

He paused, hearing the sound of grunting and a familiar agonizing cry.

-------------

David gasped, as he fell to his hands and knees. He held onto his ribs, trying to catch his breath as the last blow had caused the the wind to be knocked out of him. David could taste the blood in his mouth. He clenched his jaw together, and stood up, determined to stand his ground. He stood back up and turned to face the ninja that had caused him to have the cut lip. The ninja seemed to smile.

"Would you care to tell us where that transmission came from?" Ducard asked.

"Up your ass!"

Sighing, Ducard nodded to the ninja.

The ninja smiled smugly as he approached David. The boy could feel his heart begin to race as he realized that he was clearly out matched by the trained ninja. He saw the man pull back his arm to strike him. David winced, ready to feel the pain and held his arm up to protect his head when he heard Ducard call out an order in another language.

David opened his eyes, still frozen in his position as though he waited for the pain. Instead, he felt a secure hand wrap around his wrist. David looked over at Ducard as he held his arm, glancing down at the watch on the boys arm.

"I believe I found the cause to our transmission," he said.

David took his free arm and attempted to hit Ducard across the face. The old man quickly deflected it, and grabbed the arm, flipping David over and bringing him back down to the ground. Ducard walked over to the boy as he slowly moved on the ground. David winced as the shock wave of hitting the metal floor vibrated through his body. He felt Ducard lift his arm and slide the watch off his wrist. David had no energy to protest. He rolled onto his side, coughing as he caught his breath once again.

Ducard tossed the wristwatch to the ninja before standing over David. The old man chuckled.

"You're as weak as your father was," Ducard said, nostalgically. "There is so much promise in you, yet if you keep fighting me, you'll be like a dog chasing his own tail. It's pointless. Yield to me and I will teach you more than I could have ever taught you father."

David looked up at Ducard and began to smile. He even began to sit up and to Ducard's surprise, he laughed. David stood up to his feet, although his ribs were still quite sore. He could feel that his lip had gotten more swollen.

"I don't want to learn anymore crap from you," David snapped. "If I'm going to learn anything, it'll be from my Dad and not some hypocritical, old man like you."

Ducard cocked his head to the side.

"You don't have much of a choice," Ducard stated. Before he had a chance to say anything more, a black shadow fell from the ceiling and dropped onto the other ninja in the room, bringing him to the floor in pain. The entrance caught David by surprise even though he saw Batman crawling along the ceiling when he was on his back.

"David, get back!" Batman growled, stepping in front of him and David quickly obeyed, standing against the wall behind Batman as he held his ribs with his arm.

Ducard grinned.

"I see that rebellion runs in the family," Ducard quipped, as he backed up, ready to fight if he had to.

"You took my son."

Ducard shrugged.

"He was needing a father figure," he stated. "For a man who crawls over rooftops every night, it must be difficult to have a decent home life with your lovely wife or your son."

Batman never answered, but instead clenched his fists. He quickly attacked Ducard, punching the man in the face. Ducard deflected the blow and in turn kicked Batman in the side. They were equally matched. Every hit was matched by the perfect block. Neither was ahead of the other. Batman knew that the only thing he had against the older man was stamina, but he was surprised to find that he, himself was getting tired. He wasn't even prepared for the hit that came as he fell onto his back.

David gasped, watching his father and hero fall to the ground on his back. Ducard had his back to David and he watched Bruce's expression as he lay there, shocked.

"Like father, like son," Ducard quipped as he caught his breath. "It's unfortunate that your son has the opportunity to watch you die."

David's eyes widened as he saw Ducard pull the gun out of his back pocket.

"No," David breathed, running towards the old man. He jumped onto Ducard's back, knocking the gun to the ground.

The distraction was enough. Batman jumped from his back to his feet and punched Ducard in the face. David fell back to his feet and backed up as Batman elbowed Ducard in the chest before swinging his leg around, knocking him to the ground. The room fell silent as Ducard was no longer moving. David walked slowly from the wall to where Batman was standing over Ducard and saw the man with a cut on his jaw and a eye that was quickly turning black and blue. He was unconscious.

Batman turned to David as he walked towards him.

"Are you all right?"

David nodded, sniffing as tears came to his eyes. Without another moment of hesitating, he carefully wrapped his arms around Batman's chest.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," he said, feeling Batman place his arms around his back. He felt the gloved hand tousle his hair like Bruce always would when he hugged him as he let out a sigh.

"I'm glad you're all right," Batman said. He pulled away from him and knelt down on one knee and watched David gently hold his ribs . "But you are hurt. You might have a bruised or broken rib. We should get you to the hospital and we can also check on your Mom and new sister."

David looked up, surprised as a smile appeared on his face.

"Sister?"

He could see Batman's eyes smile and the joy couldn't even be contained that he even smiled behind the mask. He didn't say a word, but he nodded as he urgently made their way out of the room. David followed Batman carefully down the hallway, and he prayed that they would not run into any of the ninjas.

A soft beeping sound came from Batman's belt. He reached for it as they walked down the hall and read the message that Gordon sent him. It sent a chill up his spine.

"What is it?" Even David noticed that something was wrong.

"We need to hurry. Gordon's here with the coast guard and a helicopter," Batman said. "We need to get to the stern as quickly as possible."

--------------------

The door opened and the sound of the chopping helicopter and the wind poured into the hallway. David was taken back by the sheer noise and force of the helicopter that he froze in place.

"GO!" Batman shouted, taking his hand and pulling him along. The spotlight from the helicopter followed them as they ran to the railing.

David saw the coast guard boat sitting a hundred meters out. He looked over the railing at the water below, realizing for the first time how high they were.

"Come on, we're going to jump," Batman said. David paused and stared at him. Finally, he shook his head.

"No, I can't," he stuttered. "I can't."

Batman looked at him in the eyes.

"You're going to jump," Batman stated.

David looked up at the police chopper that hovered around them. "What about the helicopter?"

"There's no time!"

"Huh? What do you mean, no time?"

Batman sighed. "There are explosives on this boat that are going to explode at any moment. Ra's Al Ghul had planned on blowing up the ship and now that his plan hasn't worked out, it could blow anytime. Come on."

David gripped the railing, looking down fearfully into the dark, choppy, cold water.

"I wont let go of you," Batman promised, catching David's eyes from the water below.

Finally, he nodded. Batman helped him carefully climb over the railing. He could see the boy trembling in fear.

"Ready?"

David let out a shaky breath as he nodded, looking down at the water below. Batman held onto his hand tightly. "I wont let go."

"Mr. Wayne!"

Batman looked up, hearing someone call his name from the boat. His heart jumped when he saw Ducard aiming the gun towards David.

"Say goodbye to your son."

The gun fired.


	17. Chapter 17

"Say goodbye to your son."

The gun fired.

David heard the gunshot and then felt himself being pushed off the railing. An explosion rang in his ears as he fell and he could feel the heat and pieces of debris brush along him. He hit the water and kicked frantically to reach the surface. He took a deep breath of air as soon as he broke the surface and saw the smoldering pieces of debris around him.

The ferry was a smoldering piece of iron and debris.

David began to turn around in the water, desperately searching with his eyes for Batman. A horrible feeling in his stomach made him feel sick as tears came to his eyes.

"DAD!"

He began to swim around, hoping and praying that he would suddenly appear when he would least expect him. The water was chuck full of pieces of the ferry that it was nearly impossible to swim for any distance before he'd struggle to push things aside and momentarily sink below the waves.

He was so distracted that he didn't feel himself being pulled by his shoulders up and over the side of the coast guard boat. David protested and struggled against their rescue.

"No! I have to go back. I need to find him!" he cried.

A blanket was tossed over his cold, wet body as he felt himself being lifted off the deck and carried into the safety of the boat. David struggled, attempting to go back the way he came. The pain of his ribs were no longer his priority. He had to find his Father. He wasn't sure if it were tears pouring from his eyes or if it was the salt water dripping from his hair.

"He's still out there! I need to find him!"

David was set down on a table as a pair of arms suddenly wrapped themselves around him.

"You need to be strong right now," the voice whispered into his ear. "We'll find your father but you need to remember that he's still Batman."

It was then that David recognized the voice as Commissioner Gordon. The man let David go and looked into his eyes.

"Stay here," he told him. David took a shaky breath and nodded, as he pulled the blanket around himself. Gordon gave him a weak smile before patting the boy on the shoulder. He stepped aside as a medic approached David and Gordon.

"We tried contacting his family, and only got a hold of the Wayne's butler."

Gordon watched David as he looked towards the ground. "I'll take care of it. I'll make sure that he's personally brought to a family member."

The medic nodded before Gordon left the room, leaving him to take care of David.

David looked out the door to where Gordon had left through. He could see the inflatable raft being dropped into the water. Gordon called out orders to everyone who seemed to walk past him. David watched as he would hold the radio to his mouth and pointed out into the water. The helicopter circled around them offering its large beam of light to aid in the search. But the longer the time went, the more disheartened David felt.

"You're a little hypothermic from the water and you have some pretty banged up ribs," the medic commented, bringing David's mind back into the room. "We'll have to wait until we get you to the hospital to get some x-rays done. In the meantime, sit tight and stay warm. We should be heading into port soon."

David's ears perked up and he looked over at the medic, surprised at the comment.

"But they haven't found Batman yet."

"It's more like, if they find him," the medic stated bluntly, as he tucked the supplies back into the drawers. "Batman pushed you off the rail and was shot just before the boat exploded. He could have been hit with debris and unconscious and if not, he's most likely bleeding to death in the water. Either way, it doesn't look good for that vigilante. He did save your life though."

David felt his head go light as the medic spoke. His mind began to spin with the news. The room suddenly felt suffocating. He had to get out.

With one push, he was off the table and slowly made his way to the door, as he held his chest. The medic turned, hearing the footsteps.

"Hey! You need to stay in here! You have hypothermia!" he called out, just as David opened the door. The dark of the night and noise from the overhead chopper were a stark contrast to the quiet room he came from. He looked out at the deck and saw a dark motionless body. It was the commotion around the body that caused him to draw in a breath. They were doing CPR. David backed up, just as the medic from the room came running out onto the deck to help.

Gordon glanced towards the medical room as the medic ran out and saw David standing at the door, frozen in shock. He quickly switched positions from squeezing the oxygen mask over Batman's face with the medic and pushed himself up from his knees. He took one glance at the CPR efforts before quickly walking towards David.

This is too much.

He could see that the boy was on the verge of tears but had kept his word to Gordon to not express it to anyone. Without a second thought, he pushed David back into the medical room and closed the door before pulling the boy into him. Gordon wrapped his arms around him and held the boy into his chest, like he did so often with Jimmy when he was upset.

"Let it go," Gordon said softly. "I wont let anyone see you."

Gordon could feel David's sobs in his back as he cried into his chest. Finally, he heard David's voice.

"Will he be all right?"

"I don't know," Gordon replied. "The sooner we get to shore, the better. We'll get both of you to a hospital. I'll stay with you until I find Mr. Pennyworth."

-------

December 12th

4:20am

Dent Memorial Hospital

Alfred stood as patiently as he could in the hospital ER waiting room. He glanced out into the night, waiting for the ambulances to arrive. He was relieved when he received the phone call that David was all right and was arriving at the hospital shortly. Alfred had visited Olivia in her hospital room to inform her before heading back down to the ER to wait for the boy.

Lights reflected through the ER windows as the doors to the hospital pulled open. Alfred turned to see David wrapped in a blanket and Commissioner Gordon beside him. David looked wet, and his eyes red. Alfred seemed to ignore the boy's face and was just glad to see that he was alive and well. A smile appeared on Alfred's face as he walked up to meet them. David wrapped his arms around Alfred's waist, feeling the boy begin to cry.

"You're all right," Alfred said, rubbing David's back, feeling him gasp with sobs. Alfred looked up confused, to meet Gordon's solemn expression.

Gordon was about to explain when the doors opened again and a flurry of activity met the medics at the door. Alfred felt the wind rush out of his lungs when he saw the dark figure laying on the gurney before it was pushed through the doors of the ER. Questions flooded his mind.

"I'm going to go with him," Gordon said. "I'll let you know...whenever I know something."

Alfred didn't know what to say but simply nodded. Gordon turned on his heel and followed through the door which Batman had just been pushed through.

"Excuse me?"

Alfred turned, with David still holding tight onto him. A young nurse smiled politely.

"David Wayne?"

David turned his head and nodded. She smiled.

"I was told that you're needing some x-rays. Come with me and we'll get that done for you," she said.

Slowly, David followed behind the nurse with Alfred at his side.

-------------------

Gordon stood against the wall as the nurses and doctors worked around Batman. He tried his best to stay out of the way, but a doctor still managed to bump into him.

"I'm sorry Commissioner, but you're going to have to leave," the Doctor exclaimed, urgently.

"I'm not leaving," he replied, harshly. "I'm staying to ensure that the identity of this man remains unknown."

The Doctor pursed his lips. "Fine, just stay out of the way."

Gordon watched as they pulled a glove off and then the Kevlar off Batman's arm before putting an IV into his arm, and a blood pressure cuff around his arm. He saw the scars on Batman's arm.

"Blood pressure is low!"

"There's too much blood here!"

"There's a wound, but I can't find where it is."

"Take the armour off his chest," a doctor replied, looking over to Batman's face. He held up a small flashlight and reached over to turn Batman's head to check his eyes for pupil dilation. The Doctor was shocked to find Batman's eyes looking right back at him and less than a second later, he felt a strong hand around his throat. He gasped, trying to speak. The other nurses and doctors in the room, froze. Gordon jumped, grabbing a hold of Batman's arm.

"You're at the hospital!" Gordon called out, as Batman saw his face. He looked back at the doctor in front of him as he held onto the man's neck. Batman could feel his heart racing and slowly, he released his grip.

"What happened?"

"You were shot, we had to give you CPR at one point and you might have some sort of head trauma. You were out for a while," Gordon said, watching as Batman pulled the IV out from his arm and groaned as he jumped off the gurney. The nurses and doctors stood back, slightly frightened by the Batman. "You can't leave!"

"I can't stay here."

"You're bleeding all over," Gordon reminded him. "If you leave, you'd most likely pass out somewhere on the street."

"I'll be fine," he assured him as he pushed open the door and walked into the bright hallway. Stunned nurses and doctors watched as Batman staggered down the hallway, holding his hand against his shoulder.

-----------------

David and Alfred walked down the hallway side by side as they followed the same nurse that had just finished taking the x-rays. They turned the corner and nearly bumped into the nurse who had stopped in her tracks. David looked around her to see Batman stagger down the hallway, walking away from them. He let out a gasp and felt Alfred's hand on his shoulder. They watched as Gordon pushed a door open from the room and jogged up beside Batman.

He glanced around, seeing the nurses and doctors and finally, David and Alfred. Quickly, he turned back to Batman.

"You're hurt," he said. "Let me at least help you."

"You can't help me," Batman growled.

Gordon sighed, glancing back at David and Alfred.

"At least let me help you get out of this place unnoticed to the people outside," Gordon said. "The media has gathered wind that you're here and it wont be long before they find out that Bruce Wayne's wife, son and newborn baby are in the building as well. It's going to get chaotic here very quickly."

Batman tipped his head to the side, acknowledging the information that he was given. Finally, he nodded and turned back down the hallway with Gordon and walked away from the ER doors.

He looked up from the ground and saw David and Alfred standing in the hallway up ahead.

David felt Alfred's hand tighten on his shoulder to ensure that the young boy didn't suddenly dart out to his father. Instead, he grinned slightly at Batman as he passed by.

The nurse turned back to David after he passed.

"I heard that Batman was the one who saved you," she said, pushing open a door for them to enter.

"He did."

Alfred was about to follow David into the room, but instead he stopped.

"David, would you mind if I checked on your mother for a moment?" Alfred said. David shook his head as the door closed behind him.

Alfred glanced down the hall to see that Gordon and Batman had disappeared. He began to walk down the hallway and then noticed that they had turned to go down another way.

"Commissioner!" he called out, causing Gordon to turn. Batman stopped, hearing the voice. "Forgive me, but I believe that I could be of service here."

Gordon smiled lightly before nodding. "I'll look after David for you." He quickly explained the way through to the service entrance that would most likely be empty at that time of night.

"I'm glad that you're all right sir," Alfred said softly once Gordon had disappeared down the hallway and no one was in sight. He wrapped an arm around Batman's waist to help him down the dark hall. Finally, they made it outside and Batman sat down against the brick wall while Alfred ran into the parking lot to pick up the car. He helped Batman into the backseat before climbing into the driver seat.

He laid down, finally pulling the cowl off his head. He felt the bump on the side of his head and winced as he touched it. He glanced down at his shoulder, feeling the pain. He pushed himself up to sit and looked at Alfred through the rear-view mirror.

"Is David all right?"

"Apart from a few bruised ribs, he'll be fine," he replied. "And you sir? You don't look too well."

"I was shot in the shoulder and I have a splitting headache," he said, resting his head against the leather seat.

Alfred looked up in the mirror solemnly, watching Bruce hold his hand on his shoulder.

"I'll take a look at it once we get home," Alfred said.

----------------------------

The room was darkened, but it was enough to see the figure laying on the bed.

"Mom!?"

Olivia turned to the door of her hospital room as the hallway light filled the room and smiled, when she saw the familiar outline of David and Commissioner Gordon at the door. She reached for the light and turned it on as David ran into the room. He winced as he pushed himself up to sit on the bed. It was then that she noticed the bruises on his face. Her smile turned to concern.

"I'm all right, Mom," David said, with a polite smile, knowing she saw the new bruises on his face.

"He's got a few bruised ribs," Commissioner Gordon added, walking into the room and catching Olivia's attention. She looked from Jim to David.

"Bruised ribs? What happened?"

"Don't worry, Mom," David said, looking over at Gordon. "Batman saved me."

A smile grew on Olivia's face.

"He did? That doesn't surprise me."

David walked over to a bassinet that sat beside the bed and looked inside.

"Hey, where's the baby?"

Olivia smiled.

"Your sister is doing some suntanning under the Billi-lights in the nursery. It seems that she's a little jaundiced," she explained. "Where's your Dad? I know he'd be eager to see you."

David's smile faded.

"There was an accident," Gordon said. "He may be running at little late. I don't know when he'll be able to come and see you."

Olivia was confused and watched as Gordon went to the door and closed it. As soon as it shut securely, he turned to Olivia.

"He took a bullet meant for David, nearly drowned and was brought into the hospital earlier unconscious," Gordon stated, watching Olivia's face turn white.

Finally, she swallowed.

"Where is he now?" she asked softly.

"He left," Gordon explained. "Mr. Pennyworth drove him home. I knew that the man was stubborn but I didn't think he'd leave a hospital where he could get proper medical attention."

"As Batman, Bruce is very particular who will treat him when he's injured," Olivia said softly. "He says it's not to protect him but his family."

Gordon nodded. "I understand." He sighed and looked down at his watch. He smiled.

"Seeing as it is nearly morning, you should get some rest," Gordon said, looking to David. "You've had a busy night."

David looked from Gordon to Olivia. "Can I stay with you?"

Gordon nodded. "That would be fine with me. I need to get back out and see how the recovery effort in the harbour is going before I head home."

--------

"My wife, my son and newborn daughter are at the hospital waiting for me," Bruce argued as Alfred pushed him down to lay in the bed. Bruce had been lucky. The bullet had missed major arteries and his lung before exiting out his back and becoming lodged into the Kevlar plate on his back.

"I realize that sir, but you look horrible," he explained, pulling the sheets up to cover him. "You're as white as your sheets, you haven't slept in over twenty-four hours and if anyone at the hospital saw you, they'd presume that Mr. Wayne is on some sort of drug."

At the comment of drugs, Bruce snorted. "I didn't take that much of the pain drugs."

Alfred chuckled. "You were fainting from the pain, sir. In all my years of watching you come home with injuries of various degrees, not once have I ever witnessed you passing out. Besides, you took enough medication to not realize that I slipped you a few sleeping pills into your water a few minutes ago. You should be out shortly and when you do wake, I'll be happy to drive you. Mrs. Wayne, Master David and your daughter which you still haven't had the liberty to name, poor child, will be there when you get up."

Bruce felt his eyelids slowly fall. He fought them, partially disappointed with Alfred but too tired to argue with the old man.

"I want you to drive me there now," Bruce mumbled, as his eyes slowly shut.

"Good night Master Bruce," Alfred said, sitting up from the bed. He walked over to the window and noticed it had begun to snow. Alfred reached for the curtains and pulled them closed. He smiled to himself as he passed the bed, hearing the heavy breathing coming from the bed. He turned off the lamp on the desk as darkness filled the room. Finally, he closed the door to the bedroom.

---------

December 14th

11:32am

"BRUCE!"

He sat up straight in bed upon hearing Olivia's voice. It was frantic and fearful. It was the same tone that he heard the night that the baby was born. He had been dreaming once again, revisiting that crazy ordeal.

He looked around the room, hearing only the soft ticking of the clock against the wall and the wind blowing against the window. Finally, he let out the breath that he was holding and sighed. It was then that he felt the soreness in his shoulder and the reality that he was no longer dreaming. Bruce slowly laid back down and glanced at the bedside table where a newspaper sat folded neatly.

"Dad! You're up!"

Bruce turned, seeing David standing in the doorway, smiling broadly. He leaned out into the hallway.

"Alfred!! He's up!!"

Bruce winced and held his forehead. "What have we said about yelling in the house?"

David smiled sheepishly as he walked into the room. "Sorry. I'm sorry about a lot of things. All of this was my fault. I thought that Ducard was just trying to help me. I never meant for anyone to get hurt, especially you and Mom."

Bruce sighed. "You do know that there will still be some sort of punishment."

He watched as David slouched.

"I know."

"It's good to see that you're finally up, Master Bruce," Alfred said, as he walked into the room, carrying a silver tray with toast, juice and tea.

"How long was I out for?"

"A little more than two days," David answered.

"We didn't want to wake you," Alfred added. "You needed your rest especially now with a newborn in the house. I doubt that Mrs. Wayne will be getting much sleep for the next few months, so it's nice to know that you enjoy your nighttime routine."

Bruce pushed up on his left hand to sit.

"Olivia is home?"

Alfred nodded. "She's downstairs in the den feeding the baby. She didn't want to have the child near you where she could wake you. The girl has a set of lungs on her, that's for sure."

Before Alfred had a chance to say another word, Bruce had stood up. It took him a few steps before he managed to get his balance.

"Sir, you're very weak," Alfred reminded him, as he came up beside him.

Bruce smiled. "Then I'll depend on you to keep me from falling down the stairs."

Alfred chuckled. "I did the other day when you took one too many pain pills."

Bruce's smile faded. "Why don't I remember that?"

"It's probably a good thing that you don't."

------------------

It felt good to be home.

Olivia looked out at the fireplace in front of her as it crackled. Alfred had begun to pull out the Christmas decor around the house that day and had placed the pine garland across the mantle. Since coming home, David was more eager to get the house more festive.

She looked down at the baby in her arms as she nursed her. Olivia grinned, as she ran her hand over the brown hair on the baby's head before tickling the toes, encouraging the baby to wake up rather than fall asleep while eating. She was still quite small but was quickly regaining the weight that she had lost in the past two days and would be surpassing it in no time.

"My little peanut," Olivia said lovingly before laying the baby down on the couch beside her, watching as she momentarily woke from her sleep-inducing nursing coma. The baby's eyes opened and set her gaze on the flickering lights of the fireplace. Olivia folded up the blanket on her lap while the baby pulled her legs up before squirming just as she began to pout.

"Oh, don't give me that little lip."

Olivia picked her up and set her up high on her shoulder, letting the baby's head rest against her shoulder. She stood up and picked up the blanket before walking back out of the room. The baby amazed her. At just two days old, she was so alert, tuned to what was going on around her and would let you know what she liked and didnt. She reminded Olivia a lot of how David was as a baby, but her features were different, almost delicate. She was a girl, that was certain.

"Alfred, where did you say that you put the extra blankets? Guess who just made a mess of this one."

"Olivia."

Hearing his voice, Olivia turned. Bruce stood at the bottom of the stairs with Alfred beside him and David standing a few steps up on the stairs. She knew that he was all right, but seeing him standing relatively on his own made her feel so much better. Rather than have him go to her, she walked up to him and wrapped her arm around his neck, conscious of his sore right shoulder. She let him go and kissed him before looking at his face.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," he replied, looking from her to the baby who had her back to him. "And how is she doing?"

Olivia smiled as she pulled the baby from her shoulder and turned her around. "Eager to see her Daddy, just careful around the midsection. She's a ticking time bomb after she eats." Bruce carefully took the baby with his good arm and held her close to him. Olivia suddenly sighed. "Honestly Bruce, this girl needs a name. I'm getting tired of calling her, the baby. You don't know how many newspapers have called requesting for exclusives with you today and asking for her name."

"Didn't we come up with one?"

Olivia shook her head. "It's been a crazy couple of months."

Bruce looked at Alfred before turning to Olivia.

"What about Allison?"

"Allison?"

Bruce shrugged. "It's the closest thing I can think of that is a feminine form of Alfred."

"You don't need to name your child after me, sir," Alfred said, with a chuckle.

"You've been a father to me and you saved my daughter's life, Alfred," Bruce said. "The least I could do is honour you this way."

Alfred smiled and nodded. "Thank you sir." He paused for a moment. "Oh, sir, one other thing. Commissioner Gordon called yesterday and I had informed him that you were able to speak at the time, but he wanted me to let you know that they never found Mr. Ducard's body."

Bruce shook his head and chuckled. "Why does that not surprise me?"

A/N - I think there may be one more chapter after this...2 at most...all depends on what I'm thinking about doing... I've really enjoyed the transformation of David from the wide-eyed, innocent boy in Thicker than Water to the somewhat brazen, chaotic pre-teen. I can only imagine how his relationship with Bruce would change as he gets older...makes me think...hmmm...

Anyhow, please R&R!!


	18. Chapter 18

Wayne Manor

5 years later

9:34pm

Bruce glanced up at the old grandfather clock as he walked past it, his footsteps matching the ticking of the time. The sounds echoed down the large hallway until he suddenly stopped. A small grin appeared on his face as he put his hands into his pockets and turned back around, walking back towards the clock.

"You're getting good," he said aloud. He turned around as David appeared as though from no where. He had jumped down from above an alcove in the hallway wall and barely made a sound when his feet touched the ground. He stood up in front of Bruce. He was quickly gaining height at sixteen years old and his eyes would soon meet those of his father. His hair was still unruly and his face was quickly gaining popularity in teenage magazines around Gotham as they proclaimed him the next young and unattached 'Bruce Wayne'.

"I've been waiting up there for nearly a half hour," he commented, flexing his wrists and grimacing as he did so. "I was bound to get noisy after a while."

Bruce shook his head.

"No, I didn't hear you," he said. "I caught a glimpse of your feet in the reflection of the glass on the clock. You need to remember to think of how you're seen at all angles, not just from the ground." He paused for a moment. "You were waiting for me to pass by for a half hour?"

David nodded.

"Where is everyone else?"

"Mom and Alfred are upstairs with Pip doing some breathing treatments," he said, using his pet name for his baby sister. "She had another attack at school today."

Bruce sighed. "I know. The poor girl."

"Are you going out tonight?"

"Yeah, just after I check on Allison."

David grinned.

"Do you think that maybe I could give the Tumbler a go?"

"David..."

"Come on Dad," he interrupted. "I've had my license for two months now and I have yet to hit anything or violate any laws. Mom even let me drive the Jag earlier this week!"

"The Tumbler costs a lot more than the Jaguar and can do a lot more damage if you hit something," he countered. "Besides, I don't want to explain anonymous donations to your Mom."

"I'm not going to hit anything and if I do, that's why it's called the Tumbler, Dad! It tumbles and it keeps going."

"No."

Bruce began to walk towards the staircase with David following quickly at his heels.

"Just one time and if anything happens, you can ban me for life from driving it," David said.

Bruce had to smile at the young man's enthusiasm. He stopped and turned on the bottom stair. He held up one finger.

"Just one time..."

David smiled broadly. "I'll meet you downstairs then."

Bruce watched as the kid ran off towards the study and he wondered how he would explain why his son was in the drivers seat of the Tumbler to David's Mom. He turned and continued up the stairs, hearing the soft voice of his wife, Olivia flowing into the hallway. He paused at the doorway of a bedroom adorned in various hues of pink and purple. He watched as Olivia sat, reclined on the bed next to Allison as she read a book to her. The small girl wore the familiar oxygen mask over her face and her eyes lit up when she saw her father standing at the door.

She pulled the mask down from her face.

"Daddy! You're home!!"

Olivia turned to the door, seeing her husband standing in its frame with a smile on his face as he heard the voice of his daughter call to him. Alfred smiled, as he looked up from where he prepared a cup of tea. He walked over to Bruce and handed him the cup.

"Yes I am," he said, taking the tea from Alfred. "I heard that you had quite a day today."

He watched as the exuberant smile fell from her face as Olivia placed the mask back over the young girl's face with the reminder of just a few more minutes with it on.

"I can't eat peaches anymore," she said, sadly. "They made it hard for me to breath and Miss Myers had to give me that shot and then I had to go to the doctors. I didn't like all the kids looking at me like I was weird."

"You're not weird, sweetheart," Olivia countered, kissing her head. "You're special."

Once again, Allison pulled the mask off her face.

"It's not fair! All the other kids can eat peaches. I love peaches and now I can't have them anymore."

Bruce walked around the bed and sat down beside the small girl. He leaned against the headboard as Allison moved closer to him. Bruce glanced over at Olivia as she sat on the opposite side of Allison.

"Your Mom and I explained to you about your allergies and asthma before," Bruce said. "You'll probably outgrow it as you get bigger. You were sick a lot as a baby because you were so small but as you get bigger, you'll get stronger."

"Strong like you?"

Bruce smiled and chuckled before kissing the top of Allison's brown haired head. "Yes, strong like me." He pulled the mask from beneath her chin and placed it back over her face. "But first you need to listen to Alfred and your Mom and finish your breathing treatment before bed. I'm going out tonight so I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Allison nodded before Bruce stood up. He caught Olivia's eye and she stood up with a promise to Allison that she'd be right back. Olivia followed Bruce back out into the hallway, hearing Alfred's voice as he spoke to Allison. She closed the bedroom door behind her.

"Batman is going out tonight?"

Bruce nodded, watching Olivia sigh and look down. He approached her and snaked his arms around her back, pulling her closer to him. Olivia enjoyed the smell of his aftershave as she rested her chin on his arm. It was soothing.

"David wants a ride in the tumbler first and then I'll head out."

"Be careful out there," she stated. "I heard there is a new crazy person out there, the one who's been leaving those riddles."

Bruce nodded.

"I may be late. Don't wait up."

Olivia smirked. "And if I do, will you be too tired?"

A small grin grew on Bruce's face. "Never."

He leaned in and gently kissed her lips for a few seconds before pulling away. He sighed, contently.

"I really should go before I change my mind," he said, kissing Olivia once more before he let go of her hand and walked down the hallway.

She watched the man she loved walk away down the hallway, carrying the burden of a city on his shoulders. Inwardly, she knew that it was something he would never be able to drop, but with each passing year she could see age quickly catching up with him. It would only be a matter of time before that rug was pulled out from beneath him. Olivia's only prayer was that he would know before that time came and would be willing to give up Batman for the sake of his family.

-------------------------

A/N - Not the greatest ending but I was really struggling on how to bring this to a close. In a month or so I may come back with a third part that would make David fresh out of university and unwilling to follow in his Father's footsteps in all things....until something or someone pushes him over the edge. Yeah, so I'm still working out on the details there, but it's a work in progress. Let me know if there is any point in continuing with this or if I should just leave it where it is.... For now though, I think I'm going to plug away at my lone fanfic, Masquerade as I have left it high and dry....


End file.
